With Jimmy Butler’s future with the Miami Heat unresolved, other teams are coming out as potential destinations for Butler should he decide to ask for a trade.
Butler, who turns 35 in September, is eligible for a two-year extension worth $113 million, or an average of $56.5 million, that would keep him under contract through the 2026-27 season. Heat president Pat Riley has already made it clear that he prefers not to enter those negotiations this summer.
“We don’t have to do that for a year. So we have not discussed that internally right now,” Riley said during his season-ending news conference earlier this month. “We haven’t made a decision on it, and we really haven’t in earnest discussed it. So we’ll just see what happens.”
Butler is under contract for $48.8 million for the 2024-25 season and has a player option for $52.2 million for the 2025-26 season. He would have to decline that player option to add on any extension.
According to the Miami Herald, Butler’s top priority this offseason is securing that maximum extension, preferably from the Heat, but potentially from another team if Miami is unwilling to do so.
The Philadelphia 76ers, if they are unable to sign Paul George in free agency, could be one of those teams. League sources told the Herald that, along with the 76ers, “there are two other teams that have made it known in league circles that they would be willing to trade for Butler and sign him to a max-level contract.”
What other teams could be willing to give Butler the contract he’s looking for, and what would a trade with those teams look like? Let’s take a look.
1. Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers’ motivation is obvious. Team president Daryl Morey is seeking a third star to play with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey and has up to $65 million in cap space to spend this summer. Signing Paul George, an unrestricted free agent, is the cleanest path toward acquiring a star. But if George returns to the LA Clippers, then Morey could pivot to acquiring a star via a trade. The 76ers could absorb Butler’s contract into space without sending any salary back to the Heat, who could get draft compensation in return. Philadelphia can trade up to five firsts starting in late June.
2. Houston Rockets
After missing the play-in tournament by five games, the Rockets are under pressure to make the playoffs next season. Acquiring home-grown Butler could be a way to put them over the top. The Rockets have the contracts, young players and draft picks (including this year’s third-overall pick) to make a deal attractive for the Heat. Building a trade around Dillons Brooks, Steven Adams, a young player like Jalen Green, Tari Eason or Jabari Smith Jr. and draft picks would be one of the stronger returns the Heat could get for Butler this summer.
3. San Antonio Spurs
Another Texas team looking to make a leap next season, the Spurs could be motivated to acquire Butler to pair with young stars Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell. San Antonio is second behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder in first-round picks over the next seven years and has the salaries and young players to build an attractive offer.
4. Sacramento Kings
Among the teams under pressure to make improvements this offseason, the Kings might be the most impatient after a disappointing play-in tournament exit. Butler fits as a two-way wing who could dramatically improve the team’s defense around the offensive-leaning duo of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis. Would Sacramento be willing to include 23-year-old Keegan Murray in a deal?
5. Los Angeles Lakers
If the Lakers strike out on deals for Trae Young or Donovan Mitchell, could they turn to Butler to complete a Big Three with LeBron James and Anthony Davis? While the fit seems clunky, the Lakers might not care. They could trade Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura Jalen Hood-Schifino, plus Jarred Vanderbilt or Gabe Vincent, and limited draft capital in a deal.
6. Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are facing a closing championship window and will be aggressive in looking to add veteran talent to Stephen Curry and Draymond Green this offseason. Butler could make a lot of sense for a team that has maximized two-way wings in the past. What would the Heat say to a package built around Chris Paul’s non-guaranteed contract (which the Heat could waive and save $30 million against the cap) Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moodey and draft picks?
7. Memphis Grizzlies
Do the Grizzlies want to speed up the timeline and narrow the gap between them and the top of the West? If so, Butler would add some Finals experience to an otherwise young group that includes Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. A deal built around Marcus Smart, Brandon Clarke, Ziare Williams and John Konchar would help the Heat replenish their depth. The Grizzlies also control all of their first-round picks over the next seven years.