In the pantheon of strange bedfellows amid the Miami Heat’s ongoing differences with Jimmy Butler, frequent critic Charles Barkley emerging as Heat supporter adds another layer to the unexpected. With the Heat featured on TNT on Thursday night (albeit somewhat briefly,

Charles Barkley has a message for disgruntled (and suspended) Heat forward Jimmy Butler: You’re not going to outsmart Pat Riley in this stare-down between alpha males.

NBA legends Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal have different opinions on Jimmy Butler's scuffle with the Miami Heat.

As always, the NBA trade deadline provides ample storylines, with marquee names potentially on the move, contenders looking to bolster their respective rosters for a playoff push and some organizations fully committing to a second-half tank. The major storylines currently captivating the NBA community are:

With the Jimmy Butler situation still uncomfortable and unresolved, the Memphis Grizzlies are "lurking" and have "been in contact" with the Miami Heat, according to ESPN's Tim Bon

The Miami Heat remain motivated to trade disgruntled star player Jimmy Butler ahead of the NBA's February trade deadline, but roadblocks still exist, according to a report from ESPN's Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst.