Miami Heat Star Named Top Trade Target For Youthful Contender After Single Loss

Anthony Pasciolla | Oct 24, 2024

Oct 23, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Orlando Magic center Wendell Carter Jr. (34) reaches for a rebound as Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) looks on during the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The Miami Heat's opening night was far from ideal, as they were handed a blowout loss by the Orlando Magic at home.

It's just one loss, but there's no denying the shockingly poor play of veteran star Jimmy Butler. He finished with three points and five assists on 1 of 8 shooting.

This led NBA personality Bill Simmons to already imagine Butler's ideal landing spot, the Houston Rockets.

"Houston was the team that jumped out to me the most last night as a Butler home," Simmons shared on his podcast. "They have all the different assets, like they have a Steven Adams expiring plus Dillon Brooks, then you could move wherever you want from there with an asset. Could it be Amen Thompson? Could it be Cam Whitmore, Tate's expiring, and a bunch of the picks that they have maybe?"

"In my head, I was thinking Brooks, Adams, and Thompson for Butler. Made a ton of sense for both sides if Miami was like reboot time."

Brooks and Adams are serviceable win-now pieces, but the real appeal in that package comes with the former No. 4 pick. The 21-year-old wing averaged 9.5 points and 6.6 rebounds on 53.6 percent shooting in his rookie campaign, flashing serious All-Defensive Team potential.

Under the Heat's developmental system, Thompson could evolve into a perennial All-Star.

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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.