5 Miami Heat trade targets with ties to Jimmy Butler

Bobby Portis, Milwaukee Bucks

Despite the unexpected run to the NBA Finals, the Miami Heat is likely still going to head into the offseason in hopes of finding the team’s long-term answer at the power forward position. Caleb Martin played great in that role at times late in the year and into the playoffs, but it would be malpractice to keep him there in a full-time capacity heading into next season. One player that the Heat could target via trade that would fill the need at the power forward position is Bobby Portis, who spent time playing next to Butler during their time in Chicago.

Portis struggled in the postseason this past season but is coming off a solid regular season in which he averaged 14 points and 10 rebounds on 37 percent shooting from 3-point range. Portis also finished third in the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year voting. Assuming that the Milwaukee Bucks are going to shake up their roster after losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Heat, Portis is far from a certainty on the roster heading into next season.

The only difficulty in seeing this potential move come to fruition is what the framework of a deal would look like. Would the Bucks be interested in a potential sign-and-trade centered around Max Strus? Would the Heat be open to swapping Caleb Martin for Portis?

Unless this is a three-team deal, it’s tough to see how a 1-for-1 swap between the Heat and Bucks centered around Portis works out swimmingly for both sides.