The Atlanta Hawks are 14-14 this season, proving to maintain a similar level they have had for the last two seasons as a team that hovers around .500 before sneaking into the Playoffs and losing in the first round. The roster isn’t the same as last year, with summer acquisition Dyson Daniels single-handedly solving many of the backcourt defense concerns the franchise has faced with Trae Young.
With solid performance on both ends of the court, the Hawks need to add an x-factor to the roster who can elevate them from being stuck in the middle to challenging at the top. That solution could be acquiring Jimmy Butler, who’s reportedly available on the trade block. The Hawks can send back interesting pieces to the Miami Heat which might justify moving Butler in a trade now instead of waiting until free agency.
Trade Details
Atlanta Hawks Receive: Jimmy Butler
Miami Heat Receive: Clint Capela, DeAndre Hunter, 2025 First-Round Pick (LAL)
This deal lands the Heat two productive rotational players who can help them stay competitive, with Hunter among the contenders for Sixth Man of the Year so far this season. Butler becomes the veteran star piece the Hawks have needed alongside Trae to help the franchise return to the Conference Finals height they reached in 2021.
The Hawks Elevate Themselves
The Hawks have slightly adjusted their roster over the last few seasons and are finally benefitting from young stars emerging as genuine co-stars for Trae. Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels look like future stars on the franchise, with the team needing a veteran star to set a tone and push Young, Johnson, and Daniels to achieve even more.Â
Butler is averaging 19.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 5.0 assists this season, shedding on-ball responsibilities to Tyler Herro and readjusting to being a high-impact 3-and-D wing who provides excellent link-up passing play secondary playmaking. He’d be a great wing option on the Hawks next to Trae and be a valuable mentor to a prospect like Daniels.
The Hawks are currently starting rookie Zaccharie Risascher at the three, with Butler being a massive upgrade if he were to join the franchise in this trade proposal.Â
Given the overall youth of the Hawks core and the fact that they can develop even more, he’d be the perfect veteran in the locker room. The Hawks can afford to give him a lucrative short-term extension to keep him with the franchise while Risascher can develop into a worthy starting forward on a Playoff team.
The Heat Pivot Out Of The Butler Era
The last six years of Miami Heat basketball have to be called the Jimmy Butler era, as his arrival ended years of mediocrity after the Big 3 split up and took the Heat back to the NBA Finals in 2020 and 2023. Miami couldn’t raise a fourth banner with Butler, but he’s left an indelible mark on the franchise and actively mentored current stars like Herro and Bam Adebayo into becoming the players they are.
Instead of letting Butler walk for nothing, the Heat maximize a return by landing a role-playing wing replacement with upside in DeAndre Hunter. He’s averaging 19.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in primarily a bench role this season, recently flourishing after early-season injuries impacted his production. He’d be a great fit into Heat culture with his high-effort 3-and-D play and growing offensive panache.
Clint Capela would be a great center option which would reduce the defensive responsibility on Adebayo. It allows Bam to become a dangerous power forward instead of being an undersized center.Â
Capela is averaging 10.0 points and 9.4 rebounds this season. Their skill sets combined with the Lakers’ 2025 draft pick would be a great return for the Heat, with the players keeping them competitive and them adding a pick in a stacked draft.
Atlanta Needs To Commit To Winning
The Hawks have accepted hovering over .500 over the last three seasons, but this is a franchise we’ve seen make a run to the Conference Finals behind Trae’s offensive ability. They forced him to share the ball with Dejounte Murray in an ill-fitting partnership but have created a complementary roster this season. Unfortunately, they can’t stack wins consistently even though they’re challenging the best teams in the NBA on a nightly basis.
The franchise doesn’t own their 2025 first-round pick, so a losing record would be counterproductive for them. They could land Butler to make the team more dangerous on-court and season their personalities off-court for potentially years of contention. Trae is the oldest member of this Hawks core trio but he’s still just 26 years old, so there’s a lot left to achieve.
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