Jimmy Butler’s best landing spot? Trade destinations that make sense for the Miami star

Jimmy Butler wants to get paid. And when stars like Jimmy start to feel underappreciated, that’s when they develop a wandering eye. Right now, people around the league say the Miami Heat aren’t ready to pony up the kind of extension Butler’s camp desires. Butler is 35 years old, makes $48.8 million and has an option worth $52.4 million for next season that he reportedly will decline in favor of seeking a long-term contract. Something the Heat likely won’t give.

So, what happens next? Classic NBA drama: Jimmy starts looking around for a team that’ll not only pay him but also give him a real shot at that elusive ring. The question is: Will that team give him more than what he already has?

The wish list: Mavericks, Rockets, Warriors, Suns

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Butler has a wish list that includes the Mavericks, Rockets, Warriors and Suns. Charania said it was shared in league circles by Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee. While Lee called it “utter made up bulls***,” there’s been plenty of chatter regarding Butler’s future in Miami even prior to these recent reports. First, after he didn’t sign an extension this summer. And then after a sluggish start to the season for the Heat in which there have been rumblings about what his next deal could look like and with which team it’ll come from.

At a minimum, there’s smoke. So let’s think about these four teams and whether any of them even make sense for the next stage of Butler’s career:

Mavericks: Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving and Jimmy sliding into the mix would make for a terrifying trio. But there’s potential for combustibility too. There’d be diminishing returns with Butler sharing the ball with Luka and Kyrie. And besides: How the hell would the Mavs even pull off the deal? Butler makes so much money, the Mavericks would need to give up three rotation players (like Klay Thompson, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford) and possibly more assets. A consolidation trade makes zero sense for the Mavericks.

Suns: This makes some sense because Bradley Beal openly admitted the Heat were his preferred trade destination prior to landing in Phoenix, so he could be willing to waive his no-trade clause. But because of salary-cap complexities due to the apron, either Josh Richardson would also need to be sent from Miami to Phoenix, or a third team would be required for any Butler-for-Beal deal to work (with someone like Alec Burks going from Miami to that third team). Phoenix would probably love to upgrade from Beal to Butler, since Beal is performing like a shell of his former self and Butler offers far more defense and far more downhill shot creation. But why would Miami want Beal, who still has three years and $161 million remaining on his albatross contract? Instead of taking on Beal, the Heat would be better off letting Butler walk for nothing.

Rockets: General manager Rafael Stone downplayed the possibility of trading for a star this season in a SiriusXM NBA radio interview. In a nutshell he said: Yeah, I’ll pick up the phone if someone calls — that’s literally my job — but don’t expect fireworks. That lines up with what’s been floating around all year, as The Athletic’s Kelly Iko and ESPN’s Brian Windhorst have echoed. Any deal would almost certainly have to include Fred VanVleet. While Butler is better than VanVleet in a vacuum, FVV is the heart of Houston’s new culture. In theory, Dillon Brooks, Jock Landale and a young player such as Reed Sheppard or Jabari Smith could be packaged together. So could Brooks with Steven Adams and Jae’Sean Tate, plus draft picks. But for now, it seems like the Rockets are content letting their young core cook.

Warriors: Now we’re talking. Butler’s grit, feel and intensity would naturally fit alongside Steph Curry and Draymond Green in Steve Kerr’s system. And the Warriors have the contracts (hello, Andrew Wiggins and De’Anthony Melton) plus young sweeteners (Jonathan Kuminga, and Brandin Podziemski or Moses Moody) and picks to make it happen. But there’s a catch: Would Miami want what the Warriors are offering? Even though Kuminga is only 22 years old with intriguing potential, he’s a career 33.6% shooter from 3, 35.9% on midrange pull-ups and 69.4% from the line. He’s gone through hot stretches, but over his entire career has been consistently subpar from all ranges.

The Warriors are only even thinking about trading Kuminga for a player aging into his late 30s because drafting Kuminga in 2021 was a mistake in the first place when Franz Wagner was on the table. Golden State still isn’t even sure what to make of Kuminga after four years, which is why he’s now starting and Draymond is coming off the bench. Of course, the Warriors want to get rid of him instead of being the team to pay him this offseason when he’s a restricted free agent. Would Miami want to pay him? If Golden State can’t sweeten the pot with picks, it’s hard to see Pat Riley biting, even if Butler’s demands fray relationships internally with Riley and Erik Spoelstra.

The state of the Heat

Miami could easily ride this out with Butler through the trade deadline, no matter if the team decides to buy or sell. The summer opens up a lot more options: teams with cap space, sign-and-trades, or opt-in-and-trade scenarios. And let’s be honest: Will the free agent market really be salivating over a soon-to-be 36-year-old star with a reputation for being … let’s call it, complicated? Especially when the only teams projected to have cap space are the Nets, Wizards and Spurs? At some point, Butler might have to fold and take a deal that works for both him and Miami.

For now, he’s still in a solid spot. The Heat are starting to click as winners of seven of their last 10 games. Over this nearly one-month stretch, they have the NBA’s seventh-best defense, 11th-best offense and sixth-best net rating. Spoelstra’s rotations are starting to fall into place, and players are beginning to perform as expected. Bam Adebayo has shaken off his early-season struggles and is trending up. But the real story is Tyler Herro, who’s taken a leap so big the Trail Blazers may regret taking the Milwaukee deal for Damian Lillard last year.

Most players don’t change their shot diet. But Herro dramatically did:

Herro’s transformation is real. He’s nearly eliminated unwarranted midrange shots, bumped up his 3-point volume and is attacking the rim more effectively. On top of that, he’s added playmaking to his arsenal, looking to pass more on drives instead of forcing contested pull-ups. Combine that with his improved physicality and skill development — off-hand finishing, passing vision and pull-up variety — and you’ve got a player blossoming into All-Star territory.

One year ago at this time Heat fans were cursing the Trail Blazers for taking Milwaukee’s deal for Lillard. But it’s looking like a blessing for Miami that Herro wasn’t sent away. The Heat still have all but two of their future first-round picks, plus some talented young players under 25 years old, such as Jaime Jaquez, Kel’el Ware, Nikola Jovic and Pelle Larsson. At this point, any decision Miami makes about Butler and the youth has to prioritize Herro’s future.

Re-signing Butler would mean betting on him sustaining elite production into his late 30s. That’s a risky gamble. Trading him? It has to bring back the right haul. The Mavs and Rockets seem like long shots, the Suns seem like a strange match, and even a Warriors package looks shaky unless future picks are heavily involved. Maybe the Heat need to widen their scope.

Other theoretical fits for Butler

Here are the three teams that make sense as totally theoretical fits for Butler:

Sixers: Joel Embiid loves Butler. And Butler loves Embiid. The bromance is undeniable. So, how could this deal happen? Butler for Paul George, in what would possibly be the funniest trade imaginable. Butler would add more downhill attacking to Philly in place of George’s smoother style, though is it worth sacrificing George’s knockdown shooting upside? Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jared McCain already handle the ball so much; this isn’t the old Sixers when only Ben Simmons could generate shots. And if the Heat don’t want to re-sign Butler, would they actually want George? George was just signed to a four-year, $211 million deal, and he’s only eight months younger than Butler. The Sixers are intriguing but might be better in theory than in practice.

Lakers: Incoming future picks from Los Angeles are among the highest value assets in the NBA considering the uncertain future of LeBron James. Putting even just one of those in a trade could surpass what other teams can offer. Salary matching would get messy, but something would work by including D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent (welcome back to Miami!) and Jaxson Hayes. Not much there would excite Miami except the picks. Adding Butler would also make the Lakers comically old, so unless they’re ready to go all-in on one last LeBron-era push, this feels like a stretch.

Nuggets: Now this one’s juicy. The Nuggets need more shot creation. Why not send Michael Porter Jr. as a headlining piece in a trade for Butler? MPJ is one of the NBA’s best shooters, and he’s 6-foot-10. Spoelstra would know how to unleash the 26-year-old forward in ways he never has been with the Nuggets. A deal could look something like: MPJ, Zeke Nnaji, Dario Saric and a pick for Butler and Haywood Highsmith.

Denver is already last in 3-point attempts and would sacrifice even more shooting, so trading MPJ for Butler might solve one problem while creating another. But Denver’s offensive rating craters to 94.9 in minutes without Nikola Jokić on the floor. No one available could better offer a spark than Butler. And maybe Jamal Murray, who’s ineligible to be traded this season, could thrive off-ball in MPJ’s vacated spots, leaving Butler to take on more playmaking responsibilities. Financially, there’s another layer: Denver’s repeater tax headaches loom next season. Moving MPJ’s $30-plus million contract could be an inevitability, so moving him might not just be about basketball but also about the books. If Butler is viewed as a short-term rental in a title push, the move makes even more sense.

Of all the hypothetical landing spots, the Nuggets feel like the cleanest match. And among the teams Jimmy reportedly wants, it’s the Warriors by a mile.

For all the noise about trades, though, Miami still offers a compelling case. No state income tax, beautiful beaches and a talented roster with young assets to strengthen the team. Sometimes, the best move is to stay home.