Heat Land Clutch All-Star for Jimmy Butler in 3-Team Trade Pitch

ESPN’s analytics guru Kevin Pelton suggested that the Miami Heat should send their disgruntled star Jimmy Butler to another Western Conference team outside his preferred choice, the Phoenix Suns, in a three-team trade that “would shake up the league.”

Sacramento Kings receive: Jimmy Butler, Alec Burks

Miami Heat receive: DeMar DeRozan, Tim Hardaway Jr., 2028 first-round pick (top-four protected, via SAC)

Detroit Pistons receive: Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, 2029 first-round pick swap option (via SAC)

After their midseason coaching change, the Sacramento Kings are back in the thick of the fight for a playoff berth in the West. Adding Butler, a proven playoff performer and a two-way force, could raise the Kings’ playoff ceiling.

The Pistons, sitting on a $14 million cap room ahead of the February 6 trade deadline to have the option to do this type of deal, would replace Hardaway with a younger shooter to maintain their spacing around Cade Cunningham. At 26, Huerter fits the Pistons’ young core timeline than the 32-year-old Hardaway.

DeMar DeRozan as Jimmy Butler’s Replacement

For the Heat, this return package could be the best they could get under the circumstances to end the drama, revert their focus to another postseason run and caution the impact of Butler’s loss.

“From Miami’s perspective, DeRozan would be an ideal Butler replacement because of his combination of production and contract. At $23.4 million this season, DeRozan is making nearly $30 million less than Butler. The Heat could get within striking distance of avoiding the luxury tax by making this trade and still have the ability to use their exceptions this summer when Hardaway’s contract comes off the books,” Pelton wrote.

DeRozan is a consummate pro, who was the runner-up in the Clutch Player of the Year over the last two seasons.

If the Kings are willing to roll the dice on Butler, a trade could be made.

Jimmy Butler Wants To Join Suns But It’s Unlikely

Butler is fixated on getting to Phoenix because its owner, “Mat Ishbia is believed to be as willing to sign the 35-year-old to a lucrative new contract as anyone you’ll find,” veteran NBA insider Marc Stein reported on Substack on January 5.

But as much as Butler and the Suns badly want this trade, pulling it off is as complicated as it gets for two major reasons.

Bradley Beal, as he told reporters, holds the card because of his no-trade clause. And even if the Suns can coerce Beal to waive his no-trade clause, the Heat are not interested in Beal.

ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on the January 6 episode of the “NBA Today” that “Bradley Beal contract is a non-starter right now” for the Heat.

While the Pistons can theoretically help facilitate a three-team trade by absorbing Beal’s enormous contract, the Suns only have one first-round pick (2031) available to trade, which isn’t enough to incentivize both the Heat and the Pistons.

Jimmy Butler Sends Ultimatum to Heat

Butler delivered an ultimatum to their team president Pat Riley in a face-to-face meeting, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Tuesday, January 14, as the team-imposed seven-game suspension is about to end.

Butler’s message?

“He wants to be traded,” Charania reported.

The report also added that Butler told Riley in the meeting that “he will not sign a new deal in Miami” and that he would only pick up his $52 million player option for next season in an opt-in-and-trade scenario.

The 35-year-old Butler will serve the final game of his suspension, which the Heat said was “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team,” on Wednesday in the final game of their current road trip against the Los Angeles Lakers.

Butler will be eligible to return on Friday, January 17, in Miami