Miami Heat All-Star guard Jimmy Butler remains one of the few big names available to follow on the trade market between now and the start of next season.

Jimmy Butler of Miami Heat reacts during game.
Jimmy Butler (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

The Heat finished as the No. 8 seed last season but were soundly defeated by the eventual champion Boston Celtics in five games in the opening round. By declining his player option for 2025-26, Jimmy Butler could leave South Beach next summer and test free agency.

Rather than run it back with the ageing All-Star, Pat Riley and company could look at trading Butler for future assets. Miami is a savvy organization that knows it’s better to get rid of a quality player one year too early rather than a year too late, after all.

Eamon Cassels of FanSided proposed a massive trade idea that has Miami sending Jimmy Butler to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Fred VanVleet, Cam Whitmore and five future draft picks:

“While the Rockets might want to go younger Butler is a clear fit. Butler would give the Rockets a star two-way wing and allow them to remain competitive while developing young talent. This two-timeline approach gives the Rockets the best of both worlds, so to speak.”

The rebuilding Rockets made significant progress in 2023-24, finishing 41-41 after losing 55-plus games in each of the last three years, including 62 in the 2021-22 season. Youngsters Alperen Sengun and Jalen Green are gradually becoming stars, but a veteran stalwart like Butler would accelerate their timeline to win now.

Jimmy Butler was limited to 60 games in 2023-24. He finished with averages of 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game while shooting an impressive 49.9 percent from the field.

Miami Will Likely Keep Jimmy Butler For Now

Unless the Heat get an offer they can’t refuse for the perennial All-Star, they’ll likely hold onto Butler. Riley can shop his franchise star if they don’t look like championship contenders by the 2025 trade deadline.

Miami would still get a giant haul for Butler, who makes sense for just about any championship-contending team with the necessary cap space. So the best bet is for the Heat to start out 2024-25 with Butler.