Butler and Riley once shared dreams of winning a title together in South Florida. How did things get this bad?

One of those is the defending champion Boston Celtics, who — at full health — dropped a disappointing game Wednesday night against a Toronto Raptors team that entered the night with only nine victories. Boston still has elite talent, but it has one glaring issue it seemingly can’t shed.

The Golden State Warriors have been teetering around mediocrity for large stretches of the 2024-25 season, currently sitting at an even 21-21 following Monday evening’s blowout home loss to the Boston Celtics.

The Celtics are well on their way to winning another championship under Joe Mazzulla, making it logical for the franchise to do everything they can to retain their key assets. It would be in the Heat’s best interest to swap Butler for an alternative stud before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

And he might have taken a shot at the Miami Heat — possibly long-time team president Pat Riley — in a video posted on his Instagram story. Butler was at his BigFace Coffee brick-and-mortar location in the Miami Design District this week, it seems, when the six-time NBA All-Star posted a video that is already making the rounds.

Jackson specifically cites the Boston Celtics' trades for center Kristaps Porzingis and guard Jrue Holiday which resulted in an instant title, and the Milwaukee Bucks' deal for All-Star point guard Damian Lillard, moves that Jackson observes were far bolder than the Heat's summer signings of center Thomas Bryant and shooting guard Josh Richardson.

Despite returning to the court with the Miami Heat after serving a seven-game suspension, Jimmy Butler's future with the team remains uncertain. NBA legend Shaquille O'Neal has weighed in on where he believes Butler would thrive.

Will the trade deadline turn fortunes around? Will mid-market teams continue to rise? Bold predictions for the second half of the NBA season.

The latest development is that, according to NBA insider Chris Haynes, the Heat failed to pay Butler for a period during the summer.

For the Suns to land Butler, they'd have to part ways with Bradley Beal. This creates a roadblock, as the 3x All-Star guard has a no-trade clause in his contract. Beal hasn't seemed willing to waive the clause but might be going through a change of heart.

The defending NBA Champions are back in action on Friday, Jan. 17 when the Boston Celtics host the Orlando Magic at TD Garden in Boston.