Jimmy Butler was the best player on an Eastern Conference champion 18 months ago. Players like that almost never become available, especially when they're two-way wings, the NBA's scarcest commodity.

Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra uses the term "outside noise" to deal with situations like this. It means the Heat pay little attention to what is said outside the team's locker room. That's the approach Spoelstra is taking with the latest Jimmy Butler trade speculation.

According to ESPN's Shams Charania, Jimmy Butler could emerge as a legitimate target for the Warriors front office ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline. The Miami Heat are reportedly open to the idea of trading away their veteran forward, with Butler being open to a deal that would send him to the Bay Area.