After two months of waiting for a resolution, the Miami Heat finally found one for the Jimmy Butler saga on Wednesday night -- while the team was playing in Philadelphia against the 76ers.
It made for a strange scene, with players on the bench getting informed by fans about one of the NBA trade deadline's most impactful moves as the game was being played, and still trying to put the pieces together once they had emerged from the contest with a 108-101 victory.
But the oddities of the end of this affair were quickly overwhelmed by a palpable sense of relief inside the visiting locker room. Yes, Butler's teammates were happy for him, with forward Nikola Jovic having the line of the night when he said, "I'm sad and happy in the same moment. Sad you're not going to see him anymore. But I'm really happy that he got what he wanted.
"That bag [a two-year, $111 million deal] is really big and I'm happy for him."
The Heat were also happy to not have to answer more questions about the Butler situation. Instead, Miami can focus on the group that it has assembled, one that has seen Tyler Herro turn into an All-Star and currently sits in the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
That group will add Andrew Wiggins, plus a top-10-protected first-round pick in this year's draft from Golden State. Wiggins, at 6-foot-8, has prototypical small forward size and has shot at least 38% from 3-point range in four of the past five seasons. He slots in nicely in Miami's starting lineup between Herro and Duncan Robinson in the backcourt and rookie Kel'el Ware and Bam Adebayo up front. He also gives the Heat some additional positional size on the wing, something they have lacked.
"I like Wiggins in Miami," a Western Conference scout told me. "It's going to allow Tyler to be on the ball and gives them a big wing that can shoot. He's not as ball dominant as Jimmy, but they don't need that."
And while the Heat and Phoenix Suns briefly discussed the possibility of a swap centered around Butler and Kevin Durant, sources said, Miami pivoted back into discussions with the Warriors over the framework of a deal that had been discussed off and on for more than a week.
That deal accomplished what the Heat set out to do when this process began: exit the trade deadline with plenty of cap space for the tantalizing summer of 2026, when several stars -- including, potentially, the recently traded Luka Doncic, former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. and others -- could all hit free agency at the same time.
"To pick up a first and save money and get out of the biggest headache in the league? That's a win," another West scout said of Miami's perspective.
That the Heat were able to navigate this situation successfully and land a solid return for Butler in the end is a credit to Miami's ability to stick together through what has been a tumultuous situation. Several sources noted how hard it can be to do that while dealing with something this complicated in the middle of the season, and how they were impressed at the Heat's ability to do so.
"From front office to coaching staff to ownership," an East executive said, "they're all one."
Miami's steadfast nature, however, was just one of many things that shaped what has been one of the most fascinating NBA trade deadlines we've ever seen. Here are a few more, after conversations with sources both leading up to and after Thursday's 3 p.m. ET deadline.