A creative Heat-Nets trade that puts Jimmy Butler uncertainty to rest

The Miami Heat are approaching a franchise inflection point following another eighth-seed finish in the Eastern Conference. Sure, Miami made it all the way to the NBA Finals a couple years ago as the No. 8 seed, but that is not a sustainable model for success. The 2023-24 campaign was more indicative of Miami's unique strengths and unavoidable weaknesses.

Injuries will continue to play a role for this veteran team. That starts, of course, with Jimmy Butler, the 34-year-old All-Star who missed Miami's first-round postseason exit with a sprained MCL. Butler hasn't appeared in 70 regular season games since 2016-17. He knows how to operate on a pitch count — Butler takes his foot off the gas pedal in the regular season as much as any star in the NBA — but there is no denying that Butler's unique approach has irked the front office.

When faced with an opportunity to extend Butler to a four-year max contract this summer, the Heat flatly refused. Pat Riley openly discussed the challenges inherent to Butler's perennial absences when mulling over a potential extension.

"That’s a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you have somebody who’s going to be there and available every single night," Riley told reporters, h/t NBA.com. "That's the truth."

Butler is expected to test the free agent waters next offseason if the Heat don't put enough money on the table. One team he is interested in, per Brian Lewis of the NY Post, is the Brooklyn Nets.

That report led to more than a few 'huhs' from the audience. On the surface, the Nets don't make much sense as a rebuilding franchise. But, Butler tends to value location (see: his decision to join Miami), and if anybody's confident enough to see themselves winning a championship in Brooklyn right now, it's Jimmy Buckets.

So... is there a pathway there? Let's outline a realistic trade package.

Heat-Nets trade to land Jimmy Butler in Brooklyn and kickstart new era in Miami

In the end, it's up to Sean Marks and the very competent Nets front office to weigh the unique pros and cons of trading for Jimmy Butler at a moment like this. Brooklyn just dealt away its best player in Mikal Bridges, recouping a boatload of draft picks and, on the surface, setting the stage for a long and patient rebuild.

Trading for 34-year-old Butler — and presumably giving him a four-year max contract — upends that timeline. Suddenly the Nets are back in the postseason fray, even in a better spot than last season. Butler is a far more suitable No. 1 than Bridges and Brooklyn hasn't gutted the rest of its roster yet. That means Butler would have a decent supporting cast, which includes DPOY candidate Nic Claxton and several quality two-way wings, such as Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith.

The Nets can probably trade for Butler and his superhuman will and make the playoffs. Whether they should is another question entirely. Color me skeptical that trading for Butler puts Brooklyn in the East's upper echelon. Butler has overcome expectations many times before, but he won't have Erik Spoelstra on his side in Brooklyn. The Nets hired Jordi Fernandez this summer, a first-time head coach. He's plenty promising, but we just don't know what he's made of yet.

Brooklyn has enough assets post-Bridges trade to potentially acquire Butler and still engineer another blockbuster move further down the line. Marks has operated aggressively in pursuit of star-power in the past and the apparent interest of a top-15 player in joining the Nets could spur him into swift action. This trade probably requires a slow start to the season in Miami, perhaps even a breakdown in the locker room. Butler has never been one to quietly stew in displeasure. But, if the six-time All-Star really does become available, the Nets are sure to at least think about it.

This trade feels like solid value for both sides. Brooklyn keeps its veteran apparatus in tact, ideally making for an immediate contender upon Butler's arrival. The Heat, on the other hand, absorb Ben Simmons' $40.3 million in expiring salary, which is a ticket to financial flexibility next offseason. They also get Cam Thomas, Dariq Whitehead, and a handful of potentially valuable future first-round picks.

Thomas in particular is a polarizing figure, but the Heat player development system is unmatched. If anybody can get through to him and make use of a such a one-noted skill set, it's Spo. Thomas is an unreal bucket-getter. He just needs to start passing the rock and getting others involved.

Heck, I'd even be half-interested (fine, very interested) to see what Spolestra can make of Ben Simmons. Health has been the biggest hurdle to success for the former No. 1 pick since that fateful 2021 postseason. If Spo can get Simmons running out in transition and build up his trade value as a massive expiring contract, it could allow Miami to quickly retool around Bam Adebayo at the trade deadline.

The Heat seem to be itching for a fresh start. Butler wants his money, and the Nets can supply it. This trade — and this entire concept — may not be as wacky as it sounds at first blush.