A Heat-Pelicans blockbuster trade that solves everybody’s issues

The Miami Heat are approaching an organizational crossroads. After back-to-back No. 8 seed finishes, it's unclear to what extent we can trust Erik Spoelstra's voodoo powers. Miami is at a pretty clear talent deficit relative to other Eastern Conference heavyweights and, as last season so painfully reminded us, we cannot trust Jimmy Butler's health over the course of 82 games.

Now, Butler enters the final year of his contract without an extension on the table. Miami had the option to hand him an additional two years and $113 million this summer, but Pat Riley flatly refused. Butler plans to finish the campaign in South Beach before testing free agency, but we know how the NBA works. Is it ever that simple?

If the Heat aren't inclined to re-sign Butler, it only makes sense to trade him and recoup significant value at the deadline. Meanwhile, we already have a list of potential suitors, with Brooklyn and Golden State both connected to Butler by various reports.

That said, the prospect of trading Butler is sure to entice several interested parties beyond what has already been reported. Any contender looking for that missing piece needs only to look at Butler's postseason resumé. There are valid concerns tied to Butler's age, shot profile, and the looming financial situation, but he's Jimmy Buckets. A team looking to get over the hump couldn't ask for a better nudge.

One such team is the New Orleans Pelicans, who spent the summer trying and failing to trade Brandon Ingram ahead of his own forthcoming contract extension. Perhaps there's a swap to be made here, with Butler elevating New Orleans' profile in the Western Conference while Miami resets around Ingram and Bam Adebayo, forming an All-Star duo whose timelines better align.

Heat-Pelicans trade to pair Jimmy Butler and Zion Williamson; Brandon Ingram and Bam Adebayo

There are probably a few draft picks to be tossed around here — the gap between Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram is far steeper than the gap between CJ McCollum and Terry Rozier, I'd say — but the math works. Miami gets to reimagine its lineup around a younger core, with McCollum still very much capable of thriving as a third banana in Spoelstra's imaginative scheme. New Orleans, on the other hand, gets a top-20 player in Butler and a sixth-man extraordinaire in Rozier.

Zion and Jimmy is an admittedly wonky fit. Butler doesn't space the floor much these days and he tends to operate more effectively with the ball in hand. The same can be said for Zion, although their production manifests in very different ways stylistically. Butler is a mid-range savant, a master of patience and subtle manipulation out of pick-and-rolls. Zion, well, he gets downhill with a quickness. Williamson's constant rim pressure has made him New Orleans' de facto point guard, although how that changes with Dejounte Murray (and, in theory, Jimmy Butler) in the mix could be fascinating.

The Pels risk taking away some of what makes Zion special. That said, if Williamson can embrace more of a connective and play-finishing role — setting screens, catching lobs, and operating from the elbow — it could work. Butler and Zion are destined to run two-man actions into oblivion, while Dejounte's table-setting would also come in more handy if he's not forced into a quasi-two-guard role again.

New Orleans won't be able to avoid concerns about spacing or skill overlap between its core pieces, but that's fine. The best contenders find a way to embrace an overload of talent. Willie Green isn't a bad coach, especially when it comes to scheming up a creative offense. He has been far too reluctant to unleash full-scale Point Zion in the past, but with so much star-power at his command, there's reason to believe Green could concoct a workable system around New Orleans' new-look core.

It helps to have an elite defensive backbone between Butler, Murray, and DPOY candidate Herb Jones. Trey Murphy also gets an elevated role (in theory) without Ingram and McCollum in the mix. His deep catch-and-shoot 3s can keep the floor spaced, not to mention Rozier's movement shooting and general off-ball prowess in reserve.

Miami, on the other hand, is the best possible landing spot for Ingram. The Zion-Ingram partnership reached the point of no return in the playoffs. New Orleans doesn't want to pay Ingram and it's clear that, in order to fully maximize Zion, the Pels can't lean into Ingram's own strengths as a 6-foot-9 playmaking wing.

It's fair to be concerned about the consistency of Ingram's jumper or the dependability of his decision-making, especially in the playoffs, but the Duke product is still immensely talented at just 26 years old. He gives the Heat someone to build around long term. Plus, there isn't a better organization when it comes to optimizing disparate parts. Spo understands on an elemental level how to get the most out of his guys. Odds are we get a career season (or at least postseason) from Ingram in a Heat uniform.