The elephant in the room is playing on elsewhere. But Wednesday, without games to instead consider, created the first true opportunity for the Miami Heat to openly address the impact of the

The Heat were by no means a top contender in the East when Butler was traded, but without their star they struggled to win games. Miami's struggles were on full display in its first-round matchup with the top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.

During an exit interview on Wednesday, Spoelstra remarked that the Heat "deserved" both criticism and embarrassment for their playoff exit -- a four-game sweep to the top-seeded Cavaliers that punctuated Miami's downturn in fortunes since it traded superstar Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors on February 6.