Heat Veteran Star Headed To Dallas?, NBA Executive Believes It Could Happen

There have been many Jimmy Butler trade rumors for about a year. However, one of the more recent rumors concerning the Miami Heat veteran may actually have some traction.

This offseason, Butler—who was extension eligible prior to the start of the campaign—was linked to several teams. Brooklyn, New York, and Golden State were the teams that were linked to Butler. The Nets and Knicks don’t appear to be fits for the 35-year-old Texas native due to Brooklyn’s rebuild and New York roster construction.

That being said, Golden State remains a possibility. The Warriors are fifth in the West with a 15-9 record, but they have lost seven of their last 10. The Dubs are extremely close (a half million) to being handicapped, though they do have some interesting youngsters—Moses Moody, Trayce Jackson-Davis, Jonathan Kuminga, and Brandin Podziemski.

But other teams may be interested in Butler.According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, there has been much talk within the NBA circle about whether the Houston Rockets or Dallas Mavericks will trade for Butler.

Within league circles, there’s been quiet discourse about whether the Houston Rockets or Dallas Mavericks will eventually land Butler, a Texas native, should he and Miami decide to part ways. For now, however, the Rockets are among the top teams with a young core, and the Mavericks remain a contender in the tightly competitive Western Conference.

Heat Veteran Star Headed To Dallas?, NBA Executive Believes It Could Happen

The Heat are 10-10 on the season, marking the third consecutive season that they have been around .500 through the first quarter of the season. The Heat may be on an upward trend, as they have won six of their last ten and have a +2.3 scoring margin overall.

Miami is just outside the top 10 in offensive (13th) and defensive (11th) ratings. A huge problem for the Heat has been the inconsistent play of their starters. Their first unit is 17th in the league in scoring (75.5) and 15th in scoring margin (+0.4). The Heat has used just four different starting lineups. They have a  7-4 record since Erik Spoelstra replaced Nikola Jovic with Haywood Highsmith as the starter at power forward.

Heat’s Strengths and Weaknesses Through First Quarter of Season

Shooting has been an issue for Miami as the Heat are just 24th in field goal percentage at 44.1%. However, the Heat are one of the best from deep, making 15.1 treys a game at a 38% clip. They rank in the top 10 in threes made, threes attempted, and three-point percentage, which isn’t surprising as the backcourt is the team’s top strength.

Miami is pretty average defensively. The best thing the Heat does defensively is force turnovers and not foul. Conversely, the Heat’s biggest issue is defensive rebounding, as they grab just 70% of all available boards. The Heat are allowing their opponents to collect the eighth most offensive rebounds, which they convert into 14.4 points (13th most).

Still, Miami is seventh in the Eastern Conference, though the Heat has had as many wins as Brooklyn, Indiana, and Chicago. The Heat, who have been the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference in the last two seasons, may have some decisions to make soon.

Heat’s Future Financial Issues

Miami is just 1-6 against would-be playoff teams this year, with a near minus nine-point differential. The Heat are also 0-4 against the top teams in the East, with a minus -12 point differential.

Here is the thing: If Miami doesn’t turn things around, will owner Micky Arison want to have a tax bill of over $24 million for a mediocre team? The Heat currently has 17 players on standard contracts but only $1.2 million under the tax threshold.

Even more problematic for the Heat is that they project to be near the NBA’s 2025-26 first apron with just 11 players under contract. The Heat does have some flexibility with Butler (player option), Terry Rozier (potential nonguaranteed), and Duncan Robinson (player option.  So, we will have to wait to see what happens.

Will Dallas Trade For Butler?

Dallas made a huge run through the playoffs as the fifth seed in the Western Conference, reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford, whom general manager Nico Harrison acquired at last year’s trade deadline, were key for the Mavs. The Mavericks went 34-17 after acquiring the two bigs, including 13-9 in the playoffs.

Dallas is currently third in the West with a 15-8 record. The Mavericks are undoubtedly supremely talented, as they are one of five squads with a top-10 offense and defense. This is despite Klay Thompson struggling and Dante Exum having yet to make his season debut.

Unlikely Before Summer?

Here is the problem. Dallas paid top dollar for Thompson and inked him and Naji Marshall, who has been phenomenal for the Mavs, to multi-year deals. Those deals cost the Mavericks Josh Green and left them half a million from being hard capped at the first apron, although the Mavs have certainly gotten the better of those deals thus far.

“You’ve got to look at the money before anything else,” an NBA executive told Grant Afseth of the Dallas Hoops Journal. “Moving that kind of salary midseason is almost impossible for a contender with this CBA. The salary-matching rules are brutal, and unless you’re sending out another massive contract, moving around contracts to fit roster spot limits is tough. For Jimmy, we’re talking about a player making more than Luka Doncic and Kyrie (Irving)—it’s tough to see how that adds up.”

If the Mavericks do make a move for Butler, it won’t likely happen this season. However, the NBA executive also told Afseth not to count the Mavericks out from pursuing Butler this offseason. The executive added that unless Irving, who also has a player option, and Butler take significant pay cuts, a sign-and-trade likely won’t happen.

Of course, multiple teams aren’t involved, as has been happening lately. Remember, it is the NBA, and anything can happen.

Dallas does have some assets like Jaden Hardy, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, and perhaps Dereck Lively II. The Mavericks also have first-round picks in 2026, 2027, 2029, 2031 and 2032.