The Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler are headed for an unavoidable divorce. While it seems like a soft trade market around Butler could keep him with the franchise until the summer, expediting a deal to send Butler elsewhere would greatly boost team morale. No team outside the Phoenix Suns has shown aggressive interest in Butler, so there’s still room for a surprise team to complete the acquisition for a win-now push.
The Detroit Pistons are having their best season since 2019, sitting with a 21-19 record in the East right now. While many expected Detroit to be a team that’d sell off veterans for future assets, they instead seem like a team that should be making aggressive win-now moves. There’s no win-now move more aggressive than acquiring a player like Butler, which is exactly what they do in this mock trade.
Trade Details
Detroit Pistons Receive: Jimmy Butler
Miami Heat Receive: Tim Hardaway Jr., Tobias Harris, 2027 First-Round Pick (DET), 2029 Second-Round Pick (MIL)
Even if this deal winds up being a half-season rental, both sides get tremendous value out of it. The Heat get two veteran win-now players who can help them continue pushing for a Playoff spot while the Pistons get a franchise tone-setter like Butler to lead them back into being a competitive franchise around young franchise cornerstone Cade Cunningham.
The Pistons Try To Solidify A Playoff Position
The Pistons are within arms of reach of the NBA Playoffs for the first time in over half a decade. They set the NBA’s longest losing streak last season and have had a pretty remarkable one-season turnaround, catapulted by JB Bickerstaff joining as head coach and Cade Cunningham taking an All-Star leap. It’s the perfect time to send a message to the NBA by making the biggest win-now deal of the season.
Jimmy Butler is averaging 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists amidst a down year with the Heat where he’s made his desire to leave the franchise clear. As long as he’s wearing a Heat jersey, we won’t see the best version of him, even if the franchise forces him to return to the court. Butler is known as a player who can set a tone in the locker room which has led to his teams usually being solidified Playoff franchises.
Butler would positively impact the Pistons and shape the young franchise’s culture. If he doesn’t want to extend long-term with the Pistons, the franchise can easily move off him and create nearly $50 million in cap space while giving up assets that hopefully don’t end up hurting them.
They made an out-of-left-field trade for an outgoing superstar like Blake Griffin in 2018, which led to their last Playoff appearance as a franchise, so this deal with Butler could be a stepping stone to consistent contention.
The Heat Accept A Deal They Won’t Get Anywhere Else
The Miami Heat could hold onto Butler until the summer and move him when teams are under fewer restrictions in terms of the salaries they can receive or send out. The Pistons are the easiest team to deal with in the middle of the season as they can absorb up to $14 million extra in trades compared to other franchises. This allows the Heat to take back less money, get under the luxury tax, and get win-now players.
Tobias Harris signed with the Pistons this summer and has had a mixed season, averaging 13.3 points and 6.4 rebounds. He’s not a featured part of the offense but is arguably one of the best frontcourt role-players in the NBA who would fit Miami’s defensive culture and role expectations perfectly. Tim Hardaway Jr. is a shooter averaging 10.9 points on an expiring contract.
Both players boost the Heat’s competitive chances in the East given the progress they’re making without Butler anyway. They can trade him away for a solid package, which will inadvertently boost the morale of the franchise as well. While Harris’ contract could be a long-term sore spot as it expires in 2027, Hardaway’s expiring deal ensures the Heat can cut costs like they’ve been wanting to.
The Pistons New Lineup Is Scary
Starting 5: Cade Cunningham, Malik Beasley, Jimmy Butler, Isaiah Stewart, Jalen Duren
Bench: Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland, Simone Fontecchio, Marcus Sasser, Paul Reed, Wendell Moore Jr., Bobi Klintman, Jaden Ivey*
*Ivey is out for the rest of the season
The Pistons put a heavy emphasis on having one of the best starting fives in the NBA by adding Butler to their group. He’d be the perfect co-star for Cunningham, allowing the guard to use his off-ball strengths as well to create openings for other teammates. Butler’s addition will also boost the team’s toughness while giving young stars like Stewart and Duren a mentor they can learn from to improve their game.
Some moves to fill out the roster with a backup guard would be prudent, but those options are at Detroit’s disposal with its solid bank of trade assets. We rarely see teams make moves like this for marginal improvements, but a franchise like the Pistons could justify it given their recent years of struggles.
Butler might not find the Pistons to be the perfect situation like the Suns, who are willing to acquiesce to all his demands. Detroit isn’t under pressure to max Butler out in the summer, potentially even moving him in an additional trade to get back assets if Butler opts in without a negotiated extension.
This can result in a fruitful long-term partnership as Butler becomes the catalyst acquisition that brought the Pistons back into NBA relevance or a short-term move to help Detroit consolidate a 2025 Playoff spot before the Pistons look for younger solutions for a max contract instead of a 36-year-old Butler.
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