Miami Heat Acquire Former Top 5 Draft Pick

The Miami Heat’s young forward duo are struggling to fully put the pieces together.

After impressive rookie campaigns, Jaime Jaquez and Nikola Jovic have not taken the leap that many expected. With their inconsistencies on the court this season, it may be ideal to acquire another forward.

Recent reports say the Chicago Bulls are looking to add Patrick Williams to the trade block.

A trade between the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls could look like:

Heat receive: F Patrick Williams, G Jevon Carter

Bulls receive: G Terry Rozier, 2026 second-round pick (via LAL)

For the Heat, acquiring Williams makes a lot of sense. Although the 23-year-old forward has seen a decline in production this season, Williams has developed into a solid three-point shooter as well as a versatile defender. Williams was the No. 4 pick in the 2020 NBA Draft but right from the jump, he saw growing pains. With his young age, the Heat may want to take a chance on a guy who has showed strong flashes. Williams signed a five-year extension worth $90 million just six months ago.

In this mock trade, the Heat also acquire Jevon Carter. He is a journeyman backup guard who has not seen the court much this season. The Bulls have a crowded set of guards, which has gotten Carter lost in the shuffle. He is shooting 40 percent from three with his limited attempts.

The Heat would part ways with Terry Rozier as well as a future second-round pick to acquire the two Bulls. Rozier is having an inconsistent season. While he was acquired last season with the hopes of being the true starting point guard, he has taken on a role off the bench amid the breakout season from Tyler Herro. Rozier’s contract is one of the most expensive on the roster. Cutting ties with him could open up cap space.

REPORT: RAPTORS LOOK TO ENTER BUTLER SWEEPSTAKES

Jimmy Butler is reportedly intent on joining only a handful of organizations, the most notable being the Phoenix Suns.

However, the Toronto Star reported the Raptors look to involve themselves in the Butler trade saga.

“It’s not that they want Butler: His skill set, age, $52-million (U.S.) player option for next season, and longer-term financial desires make him about ill-suited to join this roster,” Toronto Star’s Doug Smith reported.

“But general manager Bobby Webster and president Masai Ujiri are trying to be facilitators — and benefactors — in what ultimately happens with Butler, the disgruntled Heat wing who has asked for a trade,” Smith added.

The Raptors sit near the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 10-31 record. Acquiring Butler doesn’t make too much sense for an organization that is in the midst of a rebuild with young players such as R.J. Barrett, Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley leading the team.

The Raptors do have a history of acquiring stars for one-and-done seasons, most notably trading for Kawhi Leonard prior to the 2018-19 season. The Raptors won the Finals that season before Leonard teamed up with Paul George on the Los Angeles Clippers.

It is interesting that Webster and Ujiri want to land Butler during the ongoing rebuild. However, it seems the Raptors are an unlikely destination for the disgruntled star.

REPORT: BUTLER HAS NOT RULED OUT BUCKS AS TRADE DESTINATION

Every day, it seems more teams are being eliminated from the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes.

Earlier reports stated the Milwaukee Bucks were told to “back off” Butler. He hopes to get a contract extension this summer but the Bucks are tied long-term to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard.

However, The Athletic reported the Bucks may be back on the list of Butler’s potential destinations.

“And while it remains unclear which teams are truly willing to get into the Butler business, two league sources insisted that the Milwaukee Bucks have not, contrary to reports, been told by Butler’s camp that he doesn’t want to play there,” The Athletic’s Sam Amick wrote Wednesday.

Although Butler has not reportedly ruled out Milwaukee, it seems unlikely he joins the Bucks. Antetokounmpo and Lillard’s salaries are both over $48 million. With that amount of money on the books, it will be difficult for Butler to get his desired money with the Bucks.

Butler’s reported preferred destination remains the Phoenix Suns. He hopes to join All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker as the Suns attempt emerging as legitimate Western Conference contenders.

One other team reportedly crossed off Butler’s list of destinations is the Memphis Grizzlies.

Butler’s trade request comes after an offseason where he was denied a contract extension by the Heat. Butler is looking for a long-term extension but at his age, the team felt it was risky to extend him beyond his contract.

The trade deadline is Feb. 6.

Sean Jordan is a contributor to Miami Heat On Sports Illustrated. He can be reached at sjorda06@syr.edu.

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