The Golden State Warriors and Miami Heat experienced contrasting fortunes in the wake of their blockbuster trade in early February, with both teams now facing interesting situations heading into the offseason.
Butler's arrival to the Warriors turned a .500 team into one that went 23-7 in his 30 regular season games, while the Heat were a measly 6-11 during Wiggins' 17 games as the 2022 All-Star dealt with a couple of injury issues.
The Warriors fleeced the Heat in the Jimmy Butler trade
Given the tumultuous nature of Butler's exit, it was always going to be difficult for the Heat to receive significant value in return. The initial deal has only worsened for Miami though, with fans and analysts realizing that there's a specific Wiggins problem that needs to be addressed.
Just as the Warriors found over the past two seasons, Wiggins is a highly valuable starter in the league but not capable of being a star on a championship team. It's left Miami in a precarious position that Golden State found themselves in before the trade -- they've competitive and around the Play-In Tournament, yet without the fire power to truly threaten for a deep playoff run.
It means that Wiggins' time in Miami could be short-lived, with Michael Saenz of All You Can Heat recenly detailing how the acquisition was made with a bigger move in mind.
"If the Heat does end up making a splash move this offseason, which is still far from a guarantee despite Miami's efforts, it's almost a foregone conclusion that Wiggins will be involved one way or another," Saenz wrote.
Perhaps the Heat can eventually move Wiggins for a legitimate star, but having to rely on that shows the initial return for Butler wasn't great. For a player of his calibre, you might expect to get back at least one asset you can expect to be a medium to long-term piece for the franchise.
Wiggins doesn't appear to be that, while Kyle Anderson's limited role suggests the two years and nearly $19 million left on his contract is far from team-friendly. That leaves the lone draft pick as Miam's hope to secure a long-term piece, but even that fell to 20th overall thanks to Golden State's surge up the standings.
There's still a lot to play out over the coming years in regard to this trade, yet the early returns are blatantly obvious. The Warriors clearly got the better of the deal and now find themselves in a far more optimistic situation unless the Heat can pull off a miracle blockbuster trade this offseason.