Grading a wild, 4-team Jimmy Butler–Donovan Mitchell trade to shake up the East

The first round of the NBA Playoffs are in the rearview mirror. That leaves several franchises at a crossroads — none more than the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers. Another run as the No. 8 seed didn't end so well for Miami, with Jimmy Butler's knee injury dooming the Heat to a five-game first round exit. The Cavs made the second round, actually, but the Boston Celtics are primed to steamroll them in the conference semis. The Orlando Magic, in their first-ever postseason with this core, pushed Cleveland to seven games. Not the best sign.

Donovan Mitchell and Jimmy Butler are two of the hottest names in the offseason rumor mill. Mitchell has fought through injury to keep the Cavs afloat, but his teammates are failing him. Darius Garland's regression is a problem Cleveland cannot seem to solve, and the viability of the Jarrett Allen-Evan Mobley frontcourt remains up for debate. Butler, meanwhile, is due for an extension as a 34-year-old who hasn't played 70 games since 2016-17.

The Heat and Butler are already throwing barbs in the media. Pat Riley openly criticized Butler's selective effort and availability in the regular season. The Cavs want Mitchell to stick around, but if he throws a fit ahead of the final year of his contract, Cleveland's front office won't have much choice.

Both are legitimate trade candidates. What Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus supposes is: what if both were involved in the same trade?

Wild 4-team trade proposal involves Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell

Miami Heat receive...

• Donovan Mitchell
• Kyle Kuzma
• $13.4 million trade exception
• $2.5 million trade exception
• $2.3 million trade exception

Cleveland Cavaliers receive...

• Tyler Herro
• No. 15 pick
• 2026 second-round pick (PHX)
• 2028 first-round pick (LAC)
• 2030 first-round pick (MIA)
• $6.4 million trade exception
• $2.6 million trade exception

Philadelphia 76ers receive...

• Jimmy Butler

Washington Wizards receive...

• Paul Reed
• Nikola Jovic
• Ty Jerome
• No. 16 pick
• 2026 first-round pick (PHI)
• $23.5 million trade exception

That is... a lot of moving parts. Such trades are incredibly rare in the NBA for that very reason — it's borderline impossible to get four front offices on the same page for such an earth-shattering deal that impacts all four organizations on a profound level.

Still, the concept is strong. All four teams accomplish their goals, more or less. The Cavs dump an unhappy camper and receive an immediate (if lesser) replacement in Tyler Herro, as well as extensive draft capital. The Heat land another All-Star that better aligns with Bam Adebayo on Miami's timeline. Meanwhile, the Wizards get younger and the Sixers land a third All-Star to complement Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

A legitimate win-win-win-win trade. A rarity.

There are quibbles, of course. Cleveland should get far more bang for their buck with a Mitchell trade. Even if he's publicly unhappy on an expiring contract, Herro alone does not constitute much value in a backcourt that already includes Darius Garland. A couple first-round picks is simply far below Mitchell's value in today's trade market.

Washington is essentially receiving comparable draft capital and overall talent in exchange for Kyle Kuzma. That just isn't right. The Heat also land Kuzma alongside Mitchell without completely emptying their trade vault (Jaime Jaquez Jr., more first-round picks), which feels a bit far-fetched. Pat Riley is great at his job, but teams aren't lining up to furnish the future of Miami basketball at discount prices.

The most fun outcome here is Jimmy Butler's return to Philadelphia. The buzz is palpable, to a point where we need to seriously weigh the possibility. Butler loves Joel Embiid, and vice versa. The toxic management structure that led to Butler's departure in 2019 is long gone. Tobias Harris is a free agent. The Sixers have roughly $60 million in cap space. The stars have aligned, so long as Daryl Morey is comfortable paying Butler max money in his age-38 season. Maybe that's the type of short-term gamble Philadelphia needs to make. Butler's postseason pedigree is beyond reproach.

While there is risk on all sides of this trade — Miami departing with a playoffs assassin, Cleveland tanking, Washington dispatching its best player, and Philadelphia pouring major assets into a 34-year-old with injury baggage — it's a tantalizing proposition on paper. As a foundation upon which front offices can build and tweak, it's incredibly solid.

This trade won't happen, to be clear. But Butler to Philadelphia is exceedingly possible, and Mitchell has already been connected to Miami. So, the breadcrumbs are there, and several different trades could yield similar outcomes across the board. It's fun to think about.