The Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Detroit Pistons, and Chicago Bulls are all considered to be far apart in terms of competitiveness, but all four franchises are right next to each other. All of them are hovering around a .500 record and all have players who are expected to be on the move before the February 6 trade deadline.
The NBA trade market will have a lot of active conversations between these teams for the next month, but the easiest way to move forward would be if all four teams helped each other out. A four-team trade between these franchises could send Jimmy Butler to a team he wants, help the Heat remain competitive, give the Pistons a chance at a Playoff run, and allow the Bulls to pivot.
Trade Details
Golden State Warriors Receive: Jimmy Butler ($48.7 million), Torrey Craig ($2.8 million)
Miami Heat Receive: Andrew Wiggins ($26.2 million), Tim Hardaway Jr. ($16.1 million), Gary Payton II ($9.1 million), 2025 Second-Round Pick (GSW)
Detroit Pistons Receive: Zach LaVine ($43.0 million), Haywood Highsmith ($5.2 million)
Chicago Bulls Receive: Tobias Harris ($25.3 million), Buddy Hield ($8.7 million), Kyle Anderson ($8.7 million), 2026 First-Round Pick (DET)
The Warriors Land Stephen Curry’s Co-Star
The Warriors can’t carry on their complete lack of faith in Stephen Curry‘s ability as the point guard ages. They need to invest in their squad right now and give him a co-star who’s on a similarly shortened timeline so that they’re engineered to maximize success in the next two seasons. That can be done through this deal without the Warriors giving up major assets.
Jimmy Butler is averaging 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.7 assists this season. The numbers seem low but it’s amidst a year of conflict in Miami with Butler agitating for a trade since the summer. He would be a clean fit into the Warriors’ style of play and might just be their best on-ball playmaker if he joins.
He can play the ball-movement style and find himself in the right positions off-ball or create for others as a perimeter playmaker.
Torrey Craig is averaging 6.9 points and 2.8 rebounds and would be a 3-and-D role-player in Golden State. He can play three positions, which would make him a valid and versatile option off the bench to plug holes in any lineup.
The Heat Stay Competitive
The Heat don’t want to give Butler up for nothing but they realistically can’t expect future assets for a player who’s publicly forcing his way out while on an expiring contract. The best thing for the Heat would be to maximize the players they get in this deal to see if they’d be rotational contributors for their Playoff run this season. This deal brings them exactly that.
Andrew Wiggins might be the best-returning player, averaging 16.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists this season. He’s a prototypical 3-and-D forward but also has an on-ball offensive game which has taken a backseat in Golden State. While he can shine in that role as well, he’d be a great frontcourt complement to the two existing franchise stars Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
Tim Hardaway Jr. is averaging 10.5 points as a veteran scorer who can be a spark plug for the Heat when their offense stalls while Gary Payton II is a wing-defense option who would fit in perfectly with Heat Culture. Gary is averaging 4.6 points and 2.8 rebounds this season.
Even though the Heat lost Butler, they landed three players who can help them continue pushing for wins this season.
The Pistons Announce Themselves As Contenders
The Pistons are above .500 for the first time in five years (min. 30 games played), with the franchise’s slow rebuild finally paying off in their first year under coach JB Bickerstaff. Cade Cunningham‘s emergence as an All-Star has helped the Pistons climb up the standings, as the franchise can realistically aim to return to the Playoffs this season itself.
The team is weak as a whole, especially after Jaden Ivey’s injury ruled him out for the season. They need another on-ball scoring option next to Cade to absorb some of that pressure as the season goes further. Zach LaVine is perfect for that, with the guard averaging 23.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.5 assists this season.
He’d go great in a backcourt with Cunningham while reducing the scoring pressure on the larger chunk of the roster. It’s still a young, developing, and inconsistent team. LaVine as an offensive option will simplify what they’re doing on the court and lead to better results. There’s no point in punting this season because they lost Ivey, so a win-now trade like this would be perfect for the franchise.
The Bulls Get A Best-Case Return
The Bulls made it clear at the start of the season that they won’t be tanking, which explains why both Zach LaVine and Nikola Vucevic are still on the team. But that doesn’t change the fact that LaVine’s contract doesn’t bode well for them long-term, as the injury-prone star is owed over $100 million until 2027 at the minimum.
Even if the Bulls want to be competitive, they need to move LaVine in the midst of a good season to get some value for him.
Tobias Harris is averaging 13.3 points and 6.5 rebounds as a veteran in Detroit, taking a backseat to the young stars of the franchise. He’s one of the best role-players in the NBA as he can be a dangerous third or fourth offensive option while providing hard-nosed defense and aggressive rebounding.
Buddy Hield is averaging 12.1 points and 3.4 rebounds this season, adding a shooting option for point guard Josh Giddey. Kyle Anderson is averaging 5.1 points and 3.0 rebounds, serving as a good veteran leader and versatile forward.
These players will allow the Bulls to remain competitive for the Playoffs this season while giving them greater future flexibility and a draft asset they wouldn’t have gotten for LaVine in most other deals.
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