4 Youth-inspired Heat trades that signal end of Jimmy Butler era
By Brennan Sims
Miami Heat fans are forever indebted to Jimmy Butler. The franchise was in utter turmoil before Butler signed in the summer of 2019. The Heat hadn't made the Finals since 2014 at that point and missed the playoffs entirely three times from 2015-2019.
Contrary to what some Philadelphia 76ers media felt, Butler delivered on his promise to go to Miami to win basketball games. In his inaugural Heat season, Butler led the Heat to the Finals. We saw him go blow for blow with arguably the greatest player of all time, LeBron James, down in Orlando.
Who could forget Butler's 56-point maestro performance against Jrue Holiday and the Bucks in 2023? Butler was superhuman in that one, lighting up one of the best perimeter defenders in the league and letting him know about it. He led the Heat on an improbable run to the Finals that year as the eighth seed. The Jimmy Butler Heat era has been filled with euphoric highs, but it may be coming to a joyless end.
Butler wants an extension from Miami right now, but the Heat may be reluctant to give him one at this moment. If the Heat didn't pay Dwyane Wade what he wanted in 2017, Butler might not get his asking number, either. Some may call this doubling down on your mistakes, but that's the Heat way. They prioritize winning over relationships.
If the Heat doesn't offer Butler his extension, they should go young and rebuild with these potential trades.
76ers get: Jimmy Butler
Heat get: Paul Reed, 2024 1st round pick, 2026 1st round pick, Clippers 2028 1st round pick
Draft capital is valuable in today's NBA landscape. The Phoenix Suns acquired Kevin Durant using four first-round draft picks, a pick swap, and talented young core members: Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson.
That trade hasn't worked for the Suns, but they never had the infrastructure the Heat have. The Heat could flip these draft picks from the 76ers paired with some of their own young talents for a big-time difference-maker to link up with Bam Adebayo.
Paul Reed is an afterthought in this trade, but he'd flourish in Miami as an energy guy. When he gets minutes, he's a board magnet. According to Cleaning The Glass, his 11.8 offensive rebound percentage ranked in the 88th percentile. He's on a short-term deal; he would be a much better version of Dewayne Dedmon for the Heat.