Getty Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat.
The Miami Heat haven’t been able to meet the expectations of many fans this season, after nearly making last year’s NBA Finals. Miami sits in seventh place in the Eastern Conference with a record 35-32.
If the Heat wind up getting bounced early in the playoffs, or worse, the Play-In Tournament, then they could look to shake up their roster this summer. The front office could decide it’s time for a rebuild and possibly offload one of the Heat’s larger contracts.
During a recent conversation an anonymous Eastern Conference general manager, Heavy Sports‘ Sean Deveney was told that the New York Knicks may be interested in trading for Miami’s Jimmy Butler this summer.
“They (Knicks) will be in a position to do something smart in the offseason. That could be getting a guy like (Zach) LaVine or if the Heat shop Jimmy Butler, maybe something happens there,” he told Deveney.
Butler has been solid for the Heat once again this season. He’s appeared in 52 of the team’s 67 games, playing about 33.3 minutes each time. The 33-year-old is still putting up numbers, averaging 22.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, while shooting 52.2% from the field and 32.9% from deep.
Miami has Butler under contract through 2026. The star wing is set to make a total of $146.4 million over the course of the next three seasons. He’ll be 37 by the time the deal expires.
Heat Expected to Go After Kyrie Irving in Free Agency
If the front office ends up being satisfied with this season’s outcome, then they could look to further improve the roster in the summer, rather than trying to rebuild.
Should they look to add talent, then they may go after Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving, according to an anonymous Western Conference general manager.
The GM told Deveney that Miami had been interested in Irving ahead of the trade deadline, and will be again if he hits the open market.
“Kyrie will have to decide what he wants to do next—does he want to pick where he wants to go and take a taxpayer exception (about $7 million) or does he want to make as much money as he possibly can? Because the Mavs will give him more than anyone else will, so if that is the decision, then it is pretty simple,” the source explained to Devaney. “But, we have seen how Kyrie is with teaming up with players. Could he take $7 million to go play with LeBron and the Lakers, or take $7 million to play in Phoenix? Miami was interested, too. They would be again. Sure, he has said that money is not that important and this would be how he could show it, I suppose.”
Heat’s Udonis Halsem Will Retire After 2022-23 Season
One player that will definitely not be on the Heat next year is Udonis Haslem. On March 5, Haslem confirmed to The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang that his 20th season with Miami will be his last.
“I’m done no matter what happens,” Haslem confirmed on Sunday, via Chiang. “…I think at this stage there needs to be another voice for these guys.”