Odds are the Miami Heat hoped to move on from veteran star Jimmy Butler before he returned from his suspension against the Denver Nuggets.
The fact Butler suited up for the Heat once again likely means team president Pat Riley and the front office are yet to find a return they’re satisfied with. Assuming the organization is tired of dealing with the drama surrounding the six-time All-Star, moving him prior to the Feb. 6 trade deadline is necessary.
Front offices may continue low-balling the Heat with their offers, knowing they desire to deal him in the coming weeks. If that’s the case, Fadeaway World predicts the following four-team trade could take place between the Heat, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors, and Brooklyn Nets:
Heat Receive: Bruce Brown, Chris Boucher, Davion Mitchell
Suns Receive: Jimmy Butler, D’Angelo Russell
Nets Receive: Bradley Beal, Jusuf Nurkic, 2031 First-Round Pick (PHX), 2026 Second-Round Pick (DEN)
Raptors Receive: Ben Simmons, Trendon Watford, 2031 Second-Round Pick (DEN), 2031 Second-Round Pick (MIA)
The only real winner of this hypothetical blockbuster is the Suns. They get rid of Beal’s lucrative contract, bring on their top trade target, and add an inconsistent yet promising guard in Russell.
The Heat land a single player averaging more than 10 points in this scenario: Boucher. These three Raptors role players offer nothing more than serviceable contributions off the bench, which would be less than ideal. That poor of a return would infuriate Heat fans and have social media grilling Riley and the organization for weeks.
