Jimmy Butler is reportedly on the trade block, with three Western Conference contenders connected to the veteran star.
The Miami Heat find themselves at a crossroads: should they continue to be a middling team in the Eastern Conference, or look to pivot to a youth movement? It all comes back to the idea of trading Jimmy Butler, the 35-year-old superstar wing with a $52 million player option after this season. Butler reportedly intends to opt out of his deal to test free agency this summer, and that makes him one of this season’s biggest trade candidates.
The Heat are open to trading Butler and “making a deal if the proposal is right,” according to ESPN insider Shams Shams Charania. Charania lists three Western Conference contenders Butler is open to: the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and Golden State Warriors.
Butler’s big salary — he’s earning $48.7M this season — complicates any deal. Any potential deal with Dallas, for example, would have to include both Klay Thompson and P.J. Washington to make the money work in a two-team trade. The Mavs are off to a hot start despite Luka Doncic failing to play up to his All-NBA standards so far, which is to say that deal feels very unlikely to interest Dallas.
A deal with the Warriors would likely center on Jonathan Kuminga, the 22-year-old forward who will be a restricted free agent after the year. To make the money work, the Warriors might also have to include Andrew Wiggins. The Rockets might have the easiest time building a trade, with Dillon Brooks serving as a potential salary match and tons of young talent on the roster.
Butler is still very good when he’s available. The veteran is averaging 19 points, 4.8 assists, and 5.4 rebounds per game this year on 65.2 percent true shooting, which marks the highest scoring efficiency of his career. He’s still considered a plus defender, and one of the league’s great playoff performers.
The Heat currently sit at 12-10 overall, which is good for the No. 5 seed in the East at the moment. The East is so lackluster that it’s possible Miami could talk itself into another Cinderella run through the bracket. Of course, the Celtics loom as the heavy favorites in the conference, and the Cleveland Cavaliers look like a legitimate contender as well with an NBA-best 21 wins.
