The Miami Heat are a third of the way through their season, but they're not quite where they want to be yet. As things stand, a 13-11 record so far is good enough for the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference, but the Heat have never been a No. 6 seed on purpose. Like any NBA team, they eschew the process of rebuilding and bottoming out, instead always looking to stay in limbo and build a competitive team from within.
In recent years, they have been able to do this largely due to jimmy butler. The six-time All-Star has led Miami to the playoffs every year since acquiring him from the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019, including two trips to the NBA Finals. Jimmy is a different beast in the playoffs, and twice since the Butler era the Heat have failed to reach the NBA's basement within three wins of a championship. Dorell Wright.
However, Butler is entering the final third of his career. This is his 14th NBA season, and as he plays longer and longer, his appearances become fewer and fewer. Jimmy never played more than 64 regular-season games as a member of the Heat, and while that was partly strategic to maximize his health for the playoffs, it also meant the need A lot of time and money is invested in a player.
This is manageable when a team is good enough to be a high seed, but the margins are much smaller for a low seed. If the Heat do decide they need to shake things up, with his impending retirement — at 35, he's now at the age he once said he'll stop playing — Butler might be the best trade candidate. After all, if he retires suddenly, the assets are not returned at all.
Rumors are swirling about a potential trade for Butler, with his name set to be one of the main ones on the market as the trade season officially begins after Christmas. What follows are seven potential destinations for Butler should any trade occur.
The Rockets currently occupy the third position in the Western Conference with a record of 17 wins and 9 losses, and are in a very favorable position. They completely rejected Miami's anti-bottoming strategy, struggled for some high draft picks, and then significantly changed tack and started targeting young veterans with immediate impact. It has worked.
Logically, then, they would want to take the next step. They're good enough to open the NBA championship window now, and if Butler needs a regular-season rest, the younger players on both timelines' rosters can pick up the baton while he does.
The betting market also seems to be very supportive of the Rockets-Butler trade. But not everyone agrees. Marc Stein is one of them, and he reports that as things stand, the Rockets “have yet to show tangible interest” in Butler.
Houston did make Butler's list of desirable destinations, though. If they want to add toughness, poise, fearlessness, experience, proven clutch pedigree and a two-way forward to their already stellar defensive corps, Butler embodies that. If they don't want to add this, maybe they should.
Like Houston above, Stan reports that the Mavericks haven't had any meaningful discussions about pursuing Butler. Stein's connection to the Mavericks is impeccable.
That said, even if Dallas hasn't made an offer yet, maybe they should. They tied the Rockets with a record of 17 wins and 9 losses. Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving The second-best offense in the league and the defending Western Conference champion.
The Mavericks paid the price for not having a third creator in their Finals loss to the Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holliday A Doncic-Irving combination could be used instead, and while their cast of role players is decent, their lack of ability to break through the concrete of the Celtics' defense affects spacing and shooting, making the series frankly uncompetitive. Therefore, the Mavericks need a third round, a player who can handle pick-and-rolls from both the strong and weak sides, get his own spot and defend. Well, the Mavericks need jimmy butler. Have neither time nor motivation to wait Olivier Maxons Prosper.
Given the current serious imbalance between the strengths of the two major leagues in the NBA, the Magic are currently one of the few realistic options in the East for the Butler trade. They have the seventh-youngest team in the league, and they're significantly better than every team younger than them except the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Considering this young player and the potential for future internal growth he offers, there's no urgency for the Magic to exit now. However, given the sizable gap between the Eastern Conference's two top teams (the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics) and the also-rans, it may be necessary for Orlando to speed up the process. They are a defensive team in need of extra playmakers, though Tristan da Silva and Anthony Blake Both have great future prospects (and are excellent in the present), with Butler representing a huge upgrade.
The Magic may choose to give up on the 35-year-old Butler, preferring to bet on a bright future. They're probably right. But if Butler can raise the rent on a floor as a super-Joe Ingallswho can accelerate growth? Franz Wagner and paul bangalore Type and show them how to win without deviating from the established timeline, they would be wise to explore that possibility.
Anything in this article that suggests star players have the ability to fundamentally determine their futures, even through trades or lobbying others for trades, just look at LeBron James As a proof of concept. If LeBron wants someone, the Lakers will listen.
In more than ten years of confrontation with Butler, there are countless examples of James paying tribute to Butler. LeBron has repeatedly called him “one of the best competitors in our game” and a “very, very, very great player” for whom he has “nothing but respect.” It's a sentiment prevalent around the league. Yet, in all their battles, one thing Jimmy and LeBron have never done, outside of the All-Star Game, is pair up. Either now or never.
We should expect the Braves to compete for Jimmy. They've been competing for everyone for over a decade.
Trying to keep all the plates spinning in the air as the core ages past its prime has resulted in them struggling in their fourth and fifth starts. Kevin Durant's departure originally generated D'Angelo Russelland later became Andrew Wigginsalthough Jordan Poole become chris pauland players like Kelly Oubre, Kyle Anderson, Buddy Hield and (most recently) Dennis Schroeder Already obtained through other transactions. They got everything through trades rather than the draft, hoping to find the right mix of veteran reinforcements to preserve a chance at one last championship before Stephen Curry gets older.
There are a lot of good players on the above list, but none of them make the team better the way Butler does. That's especially true on defense, which is the end of the floor that the Warriors have rejuvenated this season and the foundation they must build upon if they want to have another run at the top. A 2-8 record over the past 10 games shows the inherent fragility of the old Warriors rotation, and 2024-25 will never look like 2014-15. But if young players e.g. Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and sputtered Brandon Pozymski Given the Warriors' interest, this could be part of a Butler trade. Anyway, the two timeline stuff never works here.
If it weren't for the Washington Wizards' 3-21 record, the Pelicans would be the worst team in the NBA. They're holding up the rest of the Western Conference with a 5-22 record, a record that probably doesn't capture the listlessness of it all. Pelicans can't score, can't defend, can't stay healthy; especially their once-designated leader Zion Williamson Injured again, “still a long way away” from return.
If Jimmy refuses to play for a non-contender, the Pelicans are truly out of the running. If these are truly the final days of Butler's career, he won't spend them in the lottery. However, there is no doubt that the Pelicans will enter the transfer market. Whether they are buyers or sellers, it makes no sense to continue down this path, and they are currently Brandon IngramHe is the only player currently receiving as much trade talk as Butler.
New Orleans' role, if any, in Butler negotiations may be as a third-rounder in trade facilitation rather than as an active bidder. Then again, they're not expected to trade CJ McCollum or Dejounte Murray Any of them.
Amid the controversy over whether he was right to do so, ESPN.com's Shams Charania doubled down on his report that the Suns were one of Jimmy's preferred trade destinations. Of course it is.
Team up with three of them Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant The Suns' “Big Three” are in place and they hope to win a championship before time finally catches up to Durant. As it stands, Father Time is facing his first defeat in his life, as the ageless KD is almost as good as before even in 18 years. Even though Butler has his own time limit, that's not a hindrance.
The real hurdle may be setting up the deal. As it turns out, assembling those three wheels can be much more expensive than adding a fourth wheel. In short, the trade asset cupboard is really, really empty.
Still, if they can, they should. As discussed in this look back at their underwhelming 2023-24 campaign, the Suns have to accept defeat and not admit defeat heading into this season. Thanks to absolutely cheap pickup Tyus Jones and Monte Morris In free agency, coupled with Ryan Dunn's strong start to his NBA career, they rejuvenated themselves a bit and significantly deepened their rotation. As for whether it's worth giving up some depth to acquire Butler — as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. They've come so far, they might as well keep going.
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