Butler was worthy of the hype. Not only because of how he put the Heat on his back on epic postseason runs, establishing himself as one of the league’s prominent figures. But because he delivers the drama along with his dominance. Because he understands moments and how to manufacture spectacle, especially when he feels disrespected.

Butler wound up being suspended for a total of 14 Heat games before the trade. But the Heat have a tradition of welcoming back players who were All-Stars or champions with the team; Butler was an All-Star in Miami who led the team to three Eastern Conference finals berths and two trips to the NBA Finals.