The Wild 3-Team Jimmy Butler NBA Trade That Actually Makes Sense
Shortly after the Miami Heat lost to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday (a game in which Jimmy Butler took just six shots), the superstar who's led the franchise to two NBA Finals appearances finally went public with his desire to leave.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Shams Charania broke the news:
On Christmas Day, we reacted to earlier Butler rumors and listed the Golden State Warriors as one potential suitor.
Here, we're going to explore that possibility a little further while also looping a third team into the mix.
The Deal
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As always, we'll look at the entire deal in one snapshot before diving into why each team should consider it.
Golden State Warriors Receive: Jimmy Butler and Jalen Wilson
Golden State Warriors Lose: Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga, a 2025 first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick
Miami Heat Receive: Cameron Johnson, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga, Ziaire Williams, a 2025 first-round pick (via Golden State) and a 2027 first-round pick (via Golden State)
Miami Heat Lose: Jimmy Butler, Pelle Larsson and a top-10 protected 2030 first-round pick
Brooklyn Nets Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Pelle Larsson and a top-10 protected 2030 first-round pick (via Miami)
Brooklyn Nets Lose: Cameron Johnson, Ziaire Williams and Jalen Wilson
Feel free to quibble over some of the smaller contracts (some of which are simply in there for salary-matching purposes), the number of picks involved and where those picks are headed.
The foundation of the deal is solid. And again, there are reasons for everyone above to be interested.
Warriors Give Stephen Curry One More Shot at a Title
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Golden State Warriors Receive: Jimmy Butler and Jalen Wilson
Golden State Warriors Lose: Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga, a 2025 first-round pick and a 2027 first-round pick
In the tightest, most pressure-packed moments of the Paris Olympics, Team USA found Stephen Curry, and he delivered against both Serbia and France.
This season, despite averaging fewer minutes than he has in any full season since 2011-12, he's given out several vivid reminders of his ability to completely take over in the NBA. Thursday, he had 30 points on 15 field-goal attempts and was a perfect 8-of-8 from three.
The point is that Curry, who turns 37 in March, can still be the best player on a title contender. And the Warriors owe it to him to put a championship-caliber supporting cast around him.
Right now, they don't have that. And while this deal wouldn't guarantee it, it would certainly bring them closer.
Butler's defensive know-how and competitiveness would make him half of a nightmarish duo with Draymond Green on that end. His ball-handling and passing would free up Curry for a few more catch-and-shoot opportunities per game on the other. His slashing would pull defenses away from those Curry triples, too.
Frankly, the fit is obvious. And while this deal costs the Warriors a pretty significant amount of depth, the chance to get Curry his fifth ring is worth it.
More forward-looking Golden State fans may not be keen on losing two first-round picks and 22-year-old Jonathan Kuminga, but none of those assets can help in the 2025 playoffs (or playoff hunt) as much as Butler.
This is the price of staying in the championship hunt when you have an aging legend.
Heat Reconfigure Around Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo
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Miami Heat Receive: Cameron Johnson, Buddy Hield, Jonathan Kuminga, Ziaire Williams, a 2025 first-round pick (via Golden State) and a 2027 first-round pick (via Golden State)
Miami Heat Lose: Jimmy Butler, Pelle Larsson and a top-10 protected 2030 first-round pick
The sample size is too small for definitive takeaways, but the Miami Heat are plus-8.1 points per 100 possessions when Tyler Herro, Bam Adebayo and Nikola Jović are all on the floor without Jimmy Butler.
The foundation for a younger, less volatile team is already in place. And Miami can use whatever Butler trade it finds as an opportunity to simply build on that.
This deal certainly does.
Heat fans will balk at the team giving up a first, but buzz around the league suggests Brooklyn wants multiple picks for Cameron Johnson. Miami might even be able to justify rerouting one of those Golden State firsts to get the Nets on board with this.
The rangy, 6'8" Johnson is averaging 19.5 points, 3.3 threes and a career-high 3.0 assists, while shooting 43.6 percent from deep. Having him as a floor-spacer around Herro and Adebayo's two-man game will make it significantly tougher to defend the primary action. Throw Buddy Hield on the other wing, and opponents would be crazy to pack the paint.
Of course, that all may be burying the lede a bit here. Not only is Miami getting multiple potentially helpful veterans and netting one first-round pick, but it also gets the best young prospect in this deal.
Jonathan Kuminga's inconsistency as a shooter and defender has been a common source of frustration for Warriors fans, but he's a dynamic athlete and finisher with plenty of untapped upside.
A core with him, Herro, Adebayo and Jović would keep the Heat in the mix for playoff spots for the foreseeable future.
Nets Continue the Teardown
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Brooklyn Nets Receive: Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Pelle Larsson and a top-10 protected 2030 first-round pick (via Miami)
Brooklyn Nets Lose: Cameron Johnson, Ziaire Williams and Jalen Wilson
The Brooklyn Nets have already unloaded Dennis Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith, but they're still registering the occasional unexpected win (as they did against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday).
In plenty of seasons, that would be fine. But the last year of moves from the Nets (including the aforementioned Schröder and DFS deals, the Mikal Bridges trade and the reacquisition of control of their own 2025 first-round pick) has made it clear they're rebuilding with an eye toward this summer's draft.
Johnson needs to go. Brooklyn's 2025 lottery odds depend on it. And while the Nets may have their hearts set on more for the veteran forward, the league has to sense some desperation the team has to get worse.
The Nets might be able to coax a couple second-rounders from the other participants here, but getting a first-round pick for Johnson, another tradable contract who can lead to more assets in Andrew Wiggins and a flyer on 23-year-old combo guard Pelle Larsson isn't a bad return.
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