Regardless of what happens with Butler, who’d probably be out of South Beach already if not for this ultra-restrictive collective bargaining agreement, the Heat aren’t in the business of backtracking. Team president Pat Riley is as anti-tanking as they come, head coach Erik Spoelstra is cut from the same cloth, and this roster has made clear it will push forward with or without Butler.

Tyler Herro is playing at an All-Star level, and Bam Adebayo has spent the last half-decade in or near that tier. This is a foundation worth building around, and that’d be true even if this franchise didn’t operate with its we-have-enough mantra.

Would a Kuzma trade vault this team to the top of the Eastern Conference? No, but if he rediscovers his recent form—21.7 points on 45.6 percent shooting, 6.9 rebounds and 4.0 assists over the past two seasons—he might nudge them near or into a top-four seed.

He could help fill Butler’s role for isolation scoring, secondary creation and, when Kuzma is really dialed-in, defensive versatility. He isn’t the best quantity-plus-quality shooter from distance, but he is more of a threat from three than Butler. There is absolutely a universe in which the addition of Kuzma and whatever Miami manages to bring back for Butler puts this club in better position to compete right now.

The Heat are among the teams who have “kept tabs on Kuzma,” per HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, so clearly there is some interest in his game and what he might add to this equation. Plus, Kuzma’s struggles this season should have lowered his trade cost, and Miami has always been quick to pounce on a distressed asset. This time last year, Washington wanted a pair of first-round picks for him, per NBA insider Marc Stein. In this theoretical swap, the only pick to change hands is the future second heading to South Beach.

It’s tough to quibble with that price. Even if Heat fans would bemoan missing out on Jović’s potential, this front office could be much more concerned with the potentially significant upgrade in present production from Kuzma.