Miami Heat Make Slight Climb In This Week's Power Rankings

After getting back above .500, the Miami Heat are inside the top half of the league in terms of power rankings.

The Heat had a hectic week outside of on-court play. Jimmy Butler was suspended for a third time as the trade deadline nears. Also, an investigation opened up regarding a Terry Rozier betting probe. Even with these "distractions", the team managed to have a strong week.

This week, the Heat are in the No. 15 spot. Last week, they sat in the No. 16 spot. The team has hovered around these rankings throughout what has been an up-and-down season. The Heat's success comes around what has been a career week for Bam Adebayo.

"Before last Monday, Bam Adebayo had gone 11 games without scoring 20 points," NBA.com's John Schuhmann wrote. "But he had 26, 21 and 30 as the Heat went 2-1 last week, capping that run with the game-winning buzzer-beater in San Antonio on Saturday night. The three-point-shooting experiment hasn’t worked particularly well for the eighth-year big, but Adebayo has shot a career-best 44.3 percent from mid-range (up from 34.4 percent last season), including 9-for-16 over those three games last week."

The Heat played to a 2-1 record this week. The week culminated with an Adebayo buzzer-beater in San Antonio Saturday night. The team is catching some momentum at a time where changes could be made for the team to start pushing for the playoffs.

With the trade deadline on Thursday, the league will be watching what the Heat do with Butler. After the shocking Luka Dončić trade along with the De'Aaron Fox blockbuster, Butler is the next star to presumably be shipped before Thursday afternoon.

This week, the Heat play three games on the road, starting against the Bulls in Chicago on Tuesday. Then, they head to Philadelphia to take on the injury-plagued 76ers on Wednesday as part of a back-to-back. Their week will conclude Friday with a trip to Brooklyn to face the Nets.

REPORT: MAVERICKS NOT EXPECTED TO PURSUE BUTLER

ClutchPoints reported Sunday night the Mavericks are focused on “other avenues” ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline. Dallas acquired All-Star center Anthony Davis and sent point guard Luka Dončić in a shocking overnight trade.

Heat and Mavericks fans alike may be excited about the idea of Butler landing in Dallas. However, the veteran forward’s $48.7 million salary—and $52 million player option—poses a significant problem.

“Without giving up Davis or Irving, Dallas could be forced to part ways with Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, Quentin Grimes, and Daniel Gafford just to match Butler’s contract value,” ClutchPoints said.

Instead, the Mavericks will reportedly pursue a “scoring weapon” to partner with Irving in the backcourt.

It remains unclear what, if anything, the Heat will do before the deadline. Butler requested a trade Jan. 2 and is serving an unrelated indefinite suspension.

REPORT: PELICANS 'INTERESTED' IN BUTLER

Jimmy Butler has preferred destinations, specifically the Phoenix Suns. He has also reportedly stated he does not want a trade to the No. 3 seed Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference.

The New Orleans Pelicans are the latest to join the Butler sweepstakes according to The Stein Line.

“A new team has emerged as a potential trade suitor for Jimmy Butler," reported Jake Fischer. "The New Orleans Pelicans have this week registered interest in trading for Butler, league sources tell The Stein Line.”

The Pelicans sit with the second-worst record in the Western Conference at 12-36. Their two main stars, Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, have been consistently brought up in trade rumors this season as the team looks to head toward a rebuild.

Butler prefers to team up with All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in Phoenix. However, if the Heat can somehow acquire either Williamson or Ingram in a deal, it would be difficult to turn that down.

Williamson, 24, has missed most of this season due to injury after signing an extension over a year ago. His work ethic has been in question since entering the league. Many believe a change of scenery is necessary for the 2019 No. 1 overall pick. Williamson is under contract through 2028.

Ingram is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. If the Heat acquire him, it is understandable the front office will attempt to extend Ingram beyond this season. A core led by Ingram, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo could be a force in the Eastern Conference.

Sean Jordan is a contributor to Miami Heat On Sports Illustrated. He can be reached at sjorda06@syr.edu.

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