Three Trade Destinations for This Six-Time All-Star
Six-time all-star Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat are having an internal crisis. After reports of the team suspended their biggest star for seven games for being a detriment to the team, it seems like the Heat are willing to trade Butler as soon as they possibly can. The 2015 NBA’s Most Improved Player told reporters that he wouldn’t find joy playing on the court again in Miami. With his time with the Heat coming to a close, let’s look at three teams that may look to add Butler to the roster.
Dallas Mavericks
After making the 2024 NBA Finals, the Dallas Mavericks looked to continue their good fortunes with a successful 2025 season. However, the team has struggled at times. They currently have a 20-15 record which places them sixth in the Western Conference. Dallas has lost four straight games and six of their last ten. Even with some of the additions they added in the offseason like a Klay Thompson, it just hasn’t worked in the Mavs’ favor as of yet. Adding a defensive guy like Butler could just be what the Mavericks need to turn things around. With Butler, he wouldn’t have to facilitate the offense as much, especially not as much as he did in Miami. While having offensive threats like Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, the six-time all-star in Butler could fire up the offense when need be. This Mavericks team desperately needs to make moves that will solidify their success come the second half of the season.
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are close to the same boat as the Mavericks. They are fifth in the Western Conference with a 19-14 record, and while they haven’t played the best in Denver, they certainly haven’t been any better on the road. Last night, we saw a duel between ‘The Joker’ Nikola Jokić and the future of the NBA in Victor Wembanyama. In a 113-110 loss, ‘The Joker’ dropped 41 points with the second-highest scoring teammate of the night being Michael Porter Jr. with 22. With an acquisition of Butler, the Nuggets’ starting lineup could be composed of Russell Westbrook, Jamal Murray, Butler, Porter Jr., and Jokić. Adding the six-time all-star in Butler could be what Denver needs to turn this season into what they’ve hoped for, another championship run.
New York Knicks
With the Knicks, their sixth and a half games behind the second-seeded Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference at 24-11. New York is going all in on an NBA Championship this season and hopes to their first Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Finals appearance in over 25 years. This team is looking to get all the help they can get to get them to that promise land. The Knicks look to go all gas and no breaks and go on a run through the second half of the season that could topple the Celtics and the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers to become the most dominant team in the East. Adding Butler to the Knicks would be an interesting move, but would Pat Riley really trade a player to the team he coached more than 30 years ago?
