NBA Trade Rumors: With the Miami Heat open to trading Jimmy Butler, we explore four perfectly constructed blockbuster deals to get the move done.
All of a sudden, it seems as if the Miami Heat have been hit with the cruel reality that it may be time to move past the Jimmy Butler build. Either that, or there's more going on behind the scenes in Miami that we know of. Either way, it's been recently reported that the Heat is finally open to listening to trade offers for Jimmy. No matter how we may have arrived here, it's certainly going to change the outlook for the Heat heading into the NBA Trade Deadline.
With Jimmy potentially on the trade block, it could open the door toward some real chaos taking place between now and the NBA Trade Deadline. Jimmy is said to prefer being traded (if he has to be) to a win-now contender or perhaps one of the Texas (his home state) teams. In trying to predict what a Jimmy trade could look like, we explore four near-perfect blockbuster deals that could come to fruition before the deadline.
Jimmy to the Los Angeles Lakers
Assuming that Jimmy Butler would be open to a team like the Los Angeles Lakers, which could probably be described as a star acquisition away from being a legit contender in the Western Conference, there could be a path toward a deal between the two sides. It would be a huge blockbuster deal and would probably be a tad easier to pull off if a third or fourth team were included. However, for the sake of simplifying this deal, let's explore what a 1-to-1 deal between the Lakers and Heat would look like.
In this hypothetical deal, the Heat would send Jimmy, Josh Richardson, and Thomas Bryant to Los Angeles in exchange for a package that includes Rui Hachimura, D'Angelo Rusell, Gabe Vincent, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and a protected 2029 first-round pick. This is a deal that would work financially and perhaps even from a basketball perspective for both sides. The Lakers would get their long sought-after star in Jimmy (partially to appease LeBron James) and the Heat would get a quality frontcourt player in Hachimura, some soon-to-be expiring contracts, and draft compensation.
This may not seem like the best potential the path could go down if they want to trade Jimmy but it should be noted that any deal the Heat makes that includes Jimmy is not going to be as simple as it may seem. Considering the situation, this may be a path the Heat would be willing to take if the Lakers agree.