Jimmy Butler may be the Miami Heat's newest shooting guard, but don't expect him to usurp Heat legend Dwyane Wade's place in the franchise's history.

Butler has plenty of respect for the future Hall of Fame swingman, whose #3 will likely be retired by the Miami organization after 14-odd seasons with the Heat, interrupted briefly with quick stints with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. Wade returned to Miami for one last season before retiring at the end of the 2018-19 NBA season.

The Heat acquired Butler in a sign-and-trade with the Philadelphia 76ers. In the four-team ordeal, Miami sent wing Josh Richardson to Philly and center Hassan Whiteside to the Portland Trail Blazers, and received Butler, signed to a four-year deal, and forward Meyers Leonard.

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Butler has profound esteem for Wade, who he briefly shared the court with in Chicago with the Bulls, and whose arrival in South Beach no way interferes with D-Wade's legacy.

Per Ira Winderman in the South Florida Sun Sentinel:

“I don't think anybody can take over the role that Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr. had here for this organization and for the game of basketball,” he said. “Here, across the globe, everybody kind of knows that Heat 3 jersey with his name on the back. I'm just fortunate and blessed enough to call him a friend, a mentor, a role model, all of those great things.”

Butler will now try to compete for a playoff spot with the Heat next season as Miami missed the postseason last year with a 40-42 record. The Heat only reached the playoffs in two of the last five years.