Nikola Jovic #5 and Jimmy Butler #22 of the Miami Heat speak on the court during the third quarter of the game against the Atlanta Hawks.
With the February 6 NBA trade deadline looming, the Heat are under immense pressure to pull off a Jimmy Butler trade. If not, they’d be forced to play out the remainder of the 2024-25 season with a disgruntled asset who can walk as a free agent in the 2025 offseason.
As such, the Heat may not have much leverage in trade talks and could settle for a lesser offer than they previously desired. In light of their current predicament, Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes proposed a trade that would see Butler land with the Kings.
Kings would receive: Jimmy Butler
Heat would receive: DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, 2027 first-round pick (top-10-protected; conditional)
The writer also argued that the Kings were under pressure to make a big trade to ensure Fox remained in town for the long haul.
“Adding Butler might be the best way to show Fox that the organization is committed to being something more than the first-round out it was two years ago,” Hughes wrote on January 14. “Maybe the six-time All-Star wouldn’t guarantee a 50-win season for a Kings team that has spent most of January climbing out of the hole it dug in November and December, but his presence would give Sacramento a dangerous element it currently lacks.”
The Kings haven’t reached a conference final since 2002. As such, Hughes argued that the time had arrived for Sacramento to swing for the fences, given the quick rise of their star tandem of Fox and Sabonis.
“If the Kings want to become something more than a one-and-done playoff pushover, they need that kind of high-risk ceiling-raiser. If Butler shows up, shines and gets his team into the second round or beyond, Fox will have to look at that and admit the Kings are doing everything possible to chase improvement.”
Heat Struggling to Find a Suitor?
Ordinarily, an organization shouldn’t find it hard to trade a six-time All-Star and proven winner such as Butler. However, the Heat face numerous challenges with regards to a Jimmy Butler trade, some of which have been perpetrated by reports of his off-court antics. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, Butler and the Heat have been at odds dating back to the 2023-24 season when the star player sat out morning shootarounds and flew private instead of with his teammates on chartered flights.
Fischer further noted that veteran guard Kyle Lowry “grew tired” of Butler’s antics during their time together as teammates in Miami.
The report came just days after Heat legend Tim Hardaway Sr. spoke at length about Butler’s off-court behavioral issues and the real reasons for his ugly standoff with the Heat. Hardaway also revealed that Heat president Pat Riley submitted a 10-page letter to the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) justifying why he suspended Butler.
“You don’t disrespect authority and that’s what Jimmy Butler has been doing, Hardaway told SiriusXMNBA Radio. “I’ll tell you this: this boat is going to sail on top of the water as long as Pat Riley is there. Jimmy Butler is trying to sink that ship. That ship is not gonna sink. I’m all with Pat Riley. You’re under contract, you play uunder this contract and see where all the chips may fall. You can opt into $52 million next year that you say you’re not going to opt in. It’s mind-boggling to me. How you gonna opt out of $52 million?”
Sai Mohan covers the NBA for Heavy.com. Based in Portugal, Sai is a seasoned sports writer with nearly two decades of publishing experience, including bylines at Yardbarker, FanSided's Hoops Habit, International Business Times, Hindustan Times and more. More about Sai Mohan
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‘Realistic’ Jimmy Butler Trade Pitch Sends Heat Star Out West