Heat expect to sign the veteran NBA champion in a trade by sending Jimmy Butler to the Spurs

Heat expect to sign the veteran NBA champion in a trade by sending Jimmy Butler to the Spurs

For Miami Heat team president Pat Riley and the rest of the front office, winning is the top priority.

This is true whether six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler is on the field or not. Chances are the Heat will be without Butler in the near future, but instead it’s the win-now-return package that Riley is really happy with. One of the most important criteria for a win-now player is winning experience, which the San Antonio Spurs could send in return for the 35-year-old.

FanSided predicted the following trade could happen between the Heat and Spurs, landing a veteran NBA champion in Miami:

Spurs received: Jimmy Butler, Josh Richardson

Heat reception: Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Malaki Branham, 2025 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick

The reality is that while all three of these Spurs players can have an immediate impact on the Heat’s rotation, there may be better offers out there. Barnes remains a consistent rotation player, while Johnson and Branham could develop into real promise, but this package doesn’t keep Miami in the hunt for a title.

Instead, the Heat should try to negotiate a three-team trade that brings back a player the caliber of De’Aaron Fox from the Sacramento Kings or Brandon Ingram from the New Orleans Pelicans.

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Anthony Pasciolla is a writer for Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at [email protected] or follow him on X @AnthonyPasci.

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