Ball Around

Former NBA HC Floats Idea About How Jimmy Butler Could Get Traded

Matt Levine

Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

One of the biggest stories around the NBA of late has been about what the Miami Heat will do with star forward Jimmy Butler. There has been a ton of trade speculation around Butler and whether the Heat could move him before the trade deadline next year.

There have been reports that Butler wants out of Miami or that he would leave the team in the offseason. Butler can become a free agent at the end of the season and there is a chance he could leave the Heat.

However, Heat president Pat Riley has come out to flat out say that the team won't be moving Butler. Normally, teams don't deal with trade speculation like this but Riley seemed to feel the need to address it all.

But this still leaves the question about what will happen with Butler in Miami. One former NBA head coach believes he knows the answer for the Heat to possibly move Butler and still be competitive.

Former head coach Sam Mitchell appeared on NBA TV and floated the idea of a deal for Butler that involves the Sacramento Kings. The deal would have star guard De'Aaron Fox coming to the Heat, with Butler likely going to a third-team.

This would certainly be a blockbuster move for all parties involved but could make sense. There have been plenty of rumors about the Kings moving Fox recently.

Miami could pair Fox with Bam Adebayo and keep their competitiveness in the Eastern Conference. This duo could run the Heat for the next few years and give them a strong chance to find success.

As for Butler, he could go somewhere else to try to win a title now. Teams such as the Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks, and Houston Rockets have all been linked to him as possible options.

The Kings would get some pieces back for Fox and they could start their rebuild. This is a deal that would shake up the entire NBA but is entirely within the realm of possibility.

It remains to be seen what will happen with Butler or even Fox. But this upcoming NBA trade deadline could be one of the more entertaining ones in recent memory.

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Matt Levine
MATT LEVINE

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