Heat Predicted To Trade For $60 Million All-Star If Jimmy Butler Stays In Miami
There’s a realistic chance the Miami Heat don’t move star Jimmy Butler prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
The most likely reason would be if the Heat’s front office and team president Pat Riley cannot find a return package they’re satisfied with. In this scenario, the six-time All-Star could either opt out of his player option and hit free agency or opt in and once again pressure the front office to explore deals.
Regardless, the Heat won’t want to waste what could be Butler’s final season in Miami. This means making win-now moves at the trade deadline in hopes of competing for a championship the final time in the Butler era.
FanSided predicted the Heat could complete the following deal with the Chicago Bulls, landing a two-time All-Star.
Heat receive: Nikola Vucevic, Talen Horton-Tucker
Bulls receive: Duncan Robinson, Josh Richardson, 2031 second-round pick
Would the Bulls be willing to give up Vucevic for such a low asking price? Likely so, considering their desperation to move off his three-year, $60 million contract.
The Heat agree to this trade because of Vucevic’s potential fit alongside Bam Adebayo. This deal allows Adebayo to fully shift to power forward, embracing his inner Draymond Green.
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Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at [email protected] or follow him on X @AnthonyPasci.
