Q: Who will be the biggest star to change teams this summer?
A (Beck):
Jimmy Butler will be traded. Rival executives have been buzzing about it for months, for all the obvious reasons.
Butler is about to turn 35 (with a lot of hard miles and a lot of injuries), with one year left on his Heat contract, and is reportedly seeking a two-year, $113 million extension. If the Heat grant it, they’ll have little to no flexibility to add another star. And they absolutely need one.
Credit Butler for powering Miami to two Finals in five seasons. But a team built around Butler and Bam Adebayo isn’t enough to challenge the Celtics, Bucks, or Sixers in the East.
Pat Riley is known for moving off his high-priced players before they fall off a cliff. And Butler at this stage would be much more valuable as a second or third option on a contender than as the top dog in Miami. This feels like the right time for a pivot.
https://www.theringer.com/nba/2024/6/21/24182862/nba-trade-rumors-2024-offseason-free-agency-preview
The Ringer's Howard Beck believes a Butler trade is on the menu this offseason. What exactly does that look like? What teams should be vying for his services?