NBA: Butler Feels He Can Replicate Kawhi’s Feat With Raptors, Nick Wright Says

Jimmy Butler finds himself with yet another NBA team in the Miami Heat, his fourth team since entering the league back in 2011. His move to South Beach was consummated following a four-team deal involving the Heat, Philadephia 76ers, Los Angeles Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers.

The deal also saw several players like Hassan Whiteside, Josh Richardson, Maurice Harkless and Meyers Leonard changing zip codes. Aside from Harkless, the Clippers also got a future first-round pick in the deal, NBA.com reported. For his part, Butler is expected to sign a four-year deal worth $142 million.

Without question, Butler looms as the new face of the Heat and the 30th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft plans to prove his worth. This early, he reportedly believes he can replicate the feat of Kawhi Leonard who led the Toronto Raptors to the NBA title last season, something that was discussed by Nick Wright during a recent episode of “First Things First.” And of course, this goal is up for debate with pundits singling out differences between the Raptors and the Heat. Leonard had a formidable supporting cast that included Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and Marc Gasol.

As mentioned in a previous article, the Heat are expected to undergo a major overhaul with previous (heavy) investments failing to reap dividends. High-salaried players like Hassan Whiteside and Goran Dragic were expected to be dealt off via NBA trades, possibly along with James Johnson and Dion Waiters. So far, only Whiteside has been dealt off although anything can still happen moving forward.

Right now, the Heat could first try and see if the remaining players on their end could improve with the entry of Butler. Dragic, Waiters and Johnson could respond differently and this is something that would benefit Miami. Unless another deal happens, Pat Riley and Erik Spoelstra may try out the new combination and then see if further moves need to be made. Another possible NBA trade may hence only come once the NBA regular season wars begin.

If Butler’s relationship with his previous teams is to be a gauge, seeing him get along with the likes of Dragic, Waiters and Johnson will be interesting. He had several clashes with some players from the Bulls, Timberwolves and the Sixers – mostly with the younger guys. Butler wants to win at all costs and being surrounded by mature players could be an entirely different story for the NBA Most Improved Player of 2015.