Heat Fans React to Khris Middleton Trade Amid Jimmy Butler Rumors

Miami Heat fans waiting for a long-awaited Jimmy Butler trade instead watched two Eastern Conference squads make a surprising deal Wednesday morning.

The Milwaukee Bucks sent longtime forward Khris Middleton and rookie guard AJ Johnson to the Washington Wizards for forwards Kyle Kuzma and Patrick Baldwin Jr.

Milwaukee also received a second-round pick, and a separate pick swap is also involved.

The trade likely pulls the Bucks out of the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes. Butler requested a trade Jan. 2 and is currently suspended for violating team rules.

“Our FO can’t get anything done,” Reddit user Alternative_Horse705 wrote. “Everybody is getting traded except Jimmy.”

However, most Heat fans agreed the team dodged a bullet on Middleton. Injuries have limited the three-time All-Star in various years, and he only averages 12.6 points in 23 games (seven starts).

Middleton is also recovering from offseason surgery on both ankles.

“Middleton is finished,” jakkdaman commented. “Sad.

But?

“But I’m glad I don’t have to watch him at the end of our bench for two years,” they added.

Others used similar adjectives for the 33-year-old Middleton.

“Middleton is a shell of himself,” RogRoz commented. “Stat checkers point to him occasionally scoring double digit points, but the consensus of those that watch are he is washed.”

Added jojo55321: “Middleton for sure helped the Bucks win the title and him getting hurt in 2022 cost them a chance to repeat, but he’s not the same player anymore. He can still ball, but he’s injury prone.”

JAQUEZ AND HARDAWAY PARTNER

Second-year Miami Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. is headed to San Francisco for All-Star Weekend.

He’ll have a familiar face—for Heat fans, at least—coaching him in the Rising Stars Game.

Heat legend Tim Hardaway drafted Jaquez to Team T on Tuesday. Hardaway joins former ‘TMC’ teammates Mitch Richmond and Chris Mullin as honorary coaches.

Ex-NBA point guard Jeremy Lin coaches the G League players.

Jaquez averages 9.4 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in 43 games (10 starts). He participated in last year’s Rising Stars event, tallying six points, two rebounds, and three assists in his lone game.

There are four teams in this year’s Rising Stars tournament. The two semifinal winners compete in the championship.

The first team to 40 points wins the semifinal game. A team must reach or surpass 25 points to win the championship.

You can find the complete rosters here.

WIGGINS COULD BE KEY TO BUTLER TRADE

Are you tired of reading or hearing the words “Jimmy Butler” and “trade” in the same sentence?

The Golden State Warriors may be ready to end our pain—and all it possibly takes is veteran forward Andrew Wiggins.

“The Warriors also have a potential path to help guide Butler to Phoenix,” The Athletic reported Tuesday, “if they pull the trigger on an Andrew Wiggins-centric trade with Miami that has been discussed.”

Salaries are the key to making any modern NBA trade work. The Athletic proposed last week the Warriors could trade Wiggins ($26.2 million cap figure), Gary Payton II ($9.1 million) and Kevon Looney ($8 million).

Butler has a $48.7 million salary. He also owns a $52 million player option for next season.

Wiggins averages 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. However, his 44.4 shooting percentage is his lowest since a 41.2 mark in 2019, his final full season in Minnesota.

Will the Heat acquire Wiggins? We’ll know by 3 p.m. ET on Thursday … unless a reporter breaks the news on X (formerly Twitter) at 3:02 p.m.

MIAMI HEAT ON SI’S JIMMY BUTLER COVERAGE

Ex-Jimmy Butler Teammate Expresses Concern About All-Star’s Long-Term Impact

Miami Heat Fans Blast Jimmy Butler’s Agent as Trade Saga Continues

Ex-ESPN Star ‘Not Surprised’ Teams Possibly Reluctant to Add Jimmy Butler

Report: Warriors Still ‘Firmly’ in the Mix for Jimmy Butler

MORE HEAT NEWS

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.