Predicting the next wave of NBA stars who will request a trade | News, scores, highlights, stats and rumors

It was quiet at Miami Heat media day…a little too quiet.

Jimmy Butler didn’t show up with fake piercings, hair extensions or alternate personalities, a break from his last few season-opening appearances. You could interpret that as Butler recommitting to a business-as-usual approach, but in the wake of a tumultuous offseason, it might be wiser to view Butler’s low-key demeanor as advertising.

With the possibility of hitting free agency via a player option this summer and no contract extension coming from the Heat, Butler could try to show potential suitors that he’s ready to come out and put the sideshows aside.

Even if we ignore the details, zooming out reveals many elements that predict a possible trade request. Butler is a 35-year-old star who still wants a long-term contract from his current team, but it doesn’t seem likely he’ll get one. When that happens, players in his position often try to find a team that can do it shall pony up.

Add that to the details in this case, and it’s even easier to imagine Butler, who has made some ugly exits from teams in the past, leaving the Heat with a decision.

Last spring, Pat Riley publicly chastised Butler for talking a little too much about teams he didn’t face in the playoffs and called him out for his continued lack of availability.

That kind of challenge doesn’t often suit stars, and Butler’s prickly reputation stands out even among that class of player.

Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@gt_hughes), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report’s Then Favale.