Miami Heat Could Covet Star Forward With Desire To 'Depart' From Current Team

Anthony Pasciolla | 17 Hours Ago

Dec 8, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra reacts to referee Mitcell Ervine during the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Just because the Miami Heat are listening to trade offers for star Jimmy Butler doesn't mean the veteran forward will play elsewhere after February's deadline.

If the Heat are unable to find a package they are satisfied with, it's in their best interest not to throw the season away. This means the front office could swiftly pivot to buying rather than selling in hopes of making a potentially final championship push with Butler.

One name to watch for the Heat is Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma, who is ready to leave the rebuilding organization, according to NBA Insider Marc Stein.

“The rising belief leaguewide is that the Wizards are eager to find a trade partner for Kuzma at some point during the next six-plus weeks ... and that Kuzma would want to depart this time with the 4-22 Wizards scarcely even trying to be competitive heading into the loaded 2025 NBA Draft," Stein wrote.

Kuzma is in the midst of arguably his worst season with the Wizards, averaging 15.8 points and 5.6 rebounds on 42 percent shooting.

This is both a blessing and a curse for the Heat. Chances are the front office can land the 29-year-old for a rather low asking price. However, the team is stuck with his contract through the 2027 season if improvement is not displayed.

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Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at ampasciolla@gmail.com or follow him on X @AnthonyPasci.