In his self-titled podcast, Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green offered his own predictions about the future of the 35-year-old as rumors circulated about potential deals involving Miami Heat player Jimmy Butler. Butler is now serving a seven-game ban, and the Heat are searching for a breakthrough without him. It has been questioned whether the team can make a deal before Butler’s potential return date.

One of Green’s harsher predictions is that Butler would be sent to a team that “he absolutely hates,” as ESPN reported on January 2 that he wants to play somewhere other than Miami. Green would also suggest that Butler be told to “go home” and wait for the offseason by the team.

Green remarked, “I saw two things happening.” I can see Pat Riley sending Jimmy Butler to a company that he detests; that’s garbage. I can also see Pat Riley saying, “Hey, go home for the rest of the year, just go home, we’ll pay you that’s fine, we’re not trading you anywhere.” However, I don’t see that scenario happening, and I don’t see Jimmy simply being himself and getting back on track with them. I believe that is too far gone.

Jimmy Butler is expected to play in games by the Heat if he is not traded.

The Heat might anticipate Butler’s return if a desirable trade is not discovered, so even though the player asked for one, the team won’t have to accept one that isn’t advantageous to them. This makes Green’s second option partially plausible. If a trade isn’t possible, the organization expects Butler to “rejoin” them and even “play in games,” according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.

The Miami Heat are still considering trade proposals for Jimmy Butler, a six-time NBA All-Star, but his time with the Heat isn’t quite finished yet. If Butler is still on the roster at the conclusion of his seven-game ban imposed by the franchise, he is likely to return and play in games, according to a person familiar with the matter, Chiang wrote.

After his suspension ends, Chiang added, “The Heat are not interested in having Butler stay away from the team while paying him the remaining $48.8 million salary for this season.”

Even ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has stated on multiple occasions recently that the offers the Heat have been receiving “stink” and are ready for Butler to return, so it might be looking that way. Butler has served three games, though, and his eligible return date is home against the Denver Nuggets on January 17.

Windhorst stated, “The Heat are internally getting ready for this to last past suspension.” “They stink and they know what offers they have.”

The Heat are 18-17 and on a six-game road trip after defeating Green and the Warriors.

Following Green’s Warriors revelation, fans are express worried.

On Tuesday night, the Golden State Warriors had a fantastic chance to get back to their winning ways. The Dubs seemed to have the perfect setup to bounce back from their 129-111 thrashing at the hands of the Sacramento Kings on Sunday against a Miami Heat club without Jimmy Butler and fresh off a double-overtime away loss the previous evening. Rather, the Warriors lost to the Heat 114-98 after being outplayed. With Draymond Green and Stephen Curry, questions are beginning to arise about whether the Warriors are talented enough to qualify for the NBA playoffs, let alone win another championship.

Following the Heat game, Warriors big player Trayce Jackson Davis explained that Green believes Golden State has “lost its soul and must find that joy and fun again,” making it harder for Dubs fans to feel at ease (h/t Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN).

“This team as is, is done,” one supporter declared. Another X user said: “Dude, this is weird stuff. went from having no worries after the last loss to experiencing an existential crisis. “No passion, no joy, no chemistry. “It’s clear that the vibes are cooked,” a Warriors fan who appeared to be worried wrote. “What happened to those vibes?” was a question posed to another commenter.

Another comment said, “Almost everyone is requesting a trade.” At the start of the fourth quarter, with Miami still leading by six points, the Warriors were still within striking distance of the Heat. However, in the last quarter, when the Heat went 11 for 20 from the field and only had one turnover, Miami played better and shot more effectively than the Warriors. However, Golden State missed 10 of its 21 field goal attempts, including 10 from behind the arc, and missed 12 of them overall. After losing against the Heat, Golden State’s record fell to 18-18, placing them in tenth place in the Western Conference.