At the February trade deadline, the Miami Heat are under no obligation to let go of veteran star Jimmy Butler.

Nevertheless, it seems to be the path Miami’s front office is keen to follow. Saturday night, Shams Charania of ESPN claimed that the Heat want to trade the six-time All-Star forward “as soon as possible.”

Charania wrote, “This is a clear-cut end to the Butler-Heat relationship,” on SportsCenter. Even while the seven-game punishment was shocking to the league, the Heat used it as a means of preventing Jimmy Butler from playing for them over the course of the following two weeks. With Jimmy Butler present, the Heat situation had gotten out of control.

It appears that the Heat tried to defuse the atmosphere in the locker room by partially suspending Butler. It is hoped that the remaining members of the team will be able to concentrate entirely on winning games without the 35-year-old present.

“From what I understand, the current goal is to trade Butler as quickly as possible,” Charania said. “I’ve been told that as of Friday, the Heat have been in discussions with teams regarding Butler trades and plan to continue those talks.”

On January 17, Butler will complete his ban when the Heat play the Denver Nuggets. But it’s obvious that team president Pat Riley and his group hope a deal is finalized by then.

The Heat are anticipated to trade Jimmy Butler in exchange for the $76 million Defensive Player of the Year.

Everyone in the Miami Heat’s front office is focused on adding win-now value.

What better way to accomplish that than by adding the Defensive Player of the Year winner, one of the NBA’s most coveted honors? Heat player Jimmy Butler’s postseason experience and veteran presence probably make him a valuable asset to any young team vying for a title.

For this reason, one of the most talked-about destinations for the six-time All-Star is the Memphis Grizzlies. According to FOX Sports, Miami might receive the following package if the Grizzlies were to acquire Butler:

Coach Erik Spoelstra can use both Clarke and Konchar as reliable rotational players, but Smart is the real treasure of this trade.

“Although Smart and Clarke are key contributors in head coach Taylor Jenkins’ rotation, Butler brings an offensive dimension that has been missing in recent years.” according to the FOX report. “That being an established external isolation scorer. For its pains, Miami receives a first-round pick and two guys who are likely to be starters in the rotation right away.

Despite playing in just 20 games last season and 18 this year, Smart has struggled with injuries during his time in Memphis. The former Defensive Player of the Year is unquestionably Tyler Herro’s ideal backcourt counterpart, though.