Heat’s Julius Randle interest adds wrinkle to Jimmy Butler drama

The Jimmy Butler-Heat saga got more interesting.

Timberwolves forward Julius Randle is on Miami’s radar and has been since the offseason, SNY’s Ian Begley reported Tuesday.

The Knicks parted ways with Randle before the season started in a trade that brought Karl Anthony-Towns to New York.

Miami and Minnesota have been in touch about potential Butler trades, according to SNY.

Butler had a tumultuous exit with the Timberwolves in 2018 after he was publicly vocal about being “fed up” with the team — and had a blowup with then-Minnesota general manager Scott Layden during a team scrimmage.

After a short stint in Philadelphia, he landed with Miami.

Butler, who has made it clear he wants a trade out of Miami, was suspended indefinitely by the Heat after walking out of the team’s shootaround on Monday due to being removed from the starting lineup moving forward.

It was Butler’s third suspension this month ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6.

Last Wednesday, the Heat suspended Butler for two games for a “continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team” after he missed the team flight to Milwaukee for a game against the Bucks.

Before that, Butler served a seven-game suspension by the Heat for conduct detrimental to the team.

The Heat said they would listen to trade offers for Butler following his first suspension.

Butler has drawn interest from the Suns and Warriors, among others.

Phoenix would have to get around Bradley Beal’s no-trade clause in order to get Butler.

The Suns positioned themselves as a top contender to land Butler by swapping draft picks with the Jazz last week.

Phoenix sent its 2031 unprotected first-round pick to Utah for three future first-round picks.

The Suns will receive the least favorable first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029 among the Jazz’s, Cavaliers’ and Timberwolves’ selections.

The Butler-Heat drama has been brewing for nearly two months.

ESPN reported tensions between Butler and the Heat began before the 2023-24 season when team president Pat Riley called a meeting with center Bam Adebayo to crown him leader of the franchise.