🏈 The Jimmy Butler Trade Conundrum

Jimmy Butler has been in Miami for a while, but it seems like the two may finally be going their separate ways…

The two have been together since the 2019-2020 season and have been to two NBA Finals but came up short each time. Trade talks have heated up in recent days as the Heat are open to dealing with Butler if the trade proposal is right.

The four teams that have been circled and approved by Butler and his agent are the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and the Phoenix Suns. Butler is believed to prefer a win-now contender.

Here’s where the conundrum part comes in: Butler is 35 years old and has $49 million dollars on his contract this year, $52 million for the 2025-26 season. That’s a lot of money for a player his age who hasn’t really won anything.

Butler has always been the best player on his team, especially in Miami. Sure, they have Bam, who’s great, but Bam is a complement star. He’s not the guy who’ll win you a ring, but he’s a great piece. I’d argue Butler is the same, a compliment star. He’s an amazing player, who plays with the most heart on the court at all times, but he alone can’t win you a ring.

He’s a playoff performer, leading the Heat to three Conference Finals in his time. He could be a difference-maker for a playoff team that needs to get over the hump. He brings unreal experience, even better intensity and hunger, and serious basketball skills. He could take any of the teams listed at the beginning of the article to the finals.

I think the perfect fit would be the Mavericks. The Mavs lack a player with a real killer instinct, and Butler certainly has that. He could bring them back to the Finals and help them beat a super team like the Celtics. I’m not sure if Butler will even leave the Heat, but no matter where he goes, they’ll be getting a junkyard dog who wants to win, now.

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