NBA Rumors: Exploring four unpopular Jimmy Butler trade ideas that the Miami Heat, at this point, should be more than willing to pursue heading into the NBA Trade Deadline.
Exactly a month out from the 2025 NBA Trade Deadline, it's pretty clear that the biggest story across the league right now is Jimmy Butler and how the Miami Heat will continue to handle this entire situation. Ideally, a trade will be agreed upon sooner rather than later but that's far from a certainty at this point. With what is likely a limited trade market for Jimmy, it may be time for the Heat to explore a few unpopular trade ideas to ensure a deal gets done before the deadline. Let's explore four of them.
The Miami Heat bites the bullet on Bradley Beal
From all indications, the Phoenix Suns are one of the most aggressive teams working the phones in an attempt to land Jimmy Butler via trade. Whether the Heat will seriously consider pulling the trigger on such a deal remains to be seen. But perhaps a potential offer from the Suns is not that bad. One potential pathway toward a deal could involve the Heat acquiring Bradley Beal, three second-round draft picks, and one future first-rounder from the Suns in exchange for Jimmy and Josh Richardson.
Why the Miami Heat should consider the trade: When push comes to shove, I do believe the Heat's front office is going to seriously think about agreeing to a Beal (and pieces) for Jimmy swap. It could end up being the best offer that is on the table and the Heat will have to decide if keeping this headache into the offseason will be worth it. Maybe the Heat ends up passing on this deal but it may not be that simple of a decision. If the Heat wants to remain competitive beyond Jimmy, maybe acquiring Beal may not be the worst deal in the world.
Beal just has two years remaining on his contract. The number is astronomically high but he's not that bad of a player even at this point in his career. And he'd be a much better fit on the Heat than he currently is with the Suns. The 2031 first-round pick from the Suns could be the part of the offer that brings this deal together. It could be extremely valuable with the long-term uncertainty that revolves around Phoenix. Miami would have to bite the bullet on Beal but this is not that bad of a deal. And with a limited market for Jimmy, the Heat may have to consider such a deal.