Rumors are swirling about a possible Jimmy Butler trade. The Dallas Mavericks are reportedly among Butler's preferred trade destinations, according to Shams Charania of ESPN. Butler is from Texas, so he is reportedly open to playing for the Mavs and Houston Rockets. However, the chances of Dallas realistically being able to acquire Butler are slim.
Butler will make over $48 million during the 2024-25 season. The Mavericks' only contracts that come close to Butler's are Luka Doncic (over $43 million) and Kyrie Irving ($41 million), and the Mavs are not going to trade either superstar.
Klay Thompson and PJ Washington are set to make over $15 million. Daniel Gafford will make over $13 million, while Maxi Kleber will make $11 million. Would Miami want to acquire Thompson at this point in his career? It is possible, but Klay would probably only be added to a trade such as this for salary purposes.
Washington could also headline the trade, but the Heat would probably be interested in a package deal including some of the Mavs' younger players like Olivier-Maxence Prosper and Jaden Hardy. However, Prosper and Hardy are both making under $3 million this season, so the Mavs would have to end up moving four or five players to make this trade a reality.
More salary concerns that could prevent possible Jimmy Butler trade to Mavericks
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) smiles at the bench against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the second half at Kaseya Center.
Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
The Mavericks are also at a hard cap on the first apron. The Heat, meanwhile, are just under the second apron. In other words, there isn't much room for financial flexibility when it comes to a Jimmy Butler trade to the Mavs.
It is also worth noting that Butler has a player option for the 2025-26 season. Kyrie Irving also happens to have a player option. Dallas surely wants to try to re-sign Irving if he opts out, but if Butler were to opt in to his deal then signing Irving would obviously be a challenge. If both players were to opt out, the Mavs would probably only be able to pursue one in free agency, meaning they may surrender five players for just a half season of Jimmy Butler.
What about a three-team trade?
There could potentially be a scenario where a third team comes in and helps the Mavs and Heat complete the trade. But the fact of the matter is that Dallas would have to give up more players than they would like in order to acquire Butler. The Mavs are fresh off an NBA Finals appearance, and they made it clear after losing to the Boston Celtics in the championship that they wanted to add depth.
So dealing away much of their depth for one player doesn't seem like a strategy the Mavericks would implement right now. Even if they could make the deal work from a financial standpoint, there are no guarantees that Dallas would make the trade.
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Butler, 35, is a great player. The Heat star is averaging 19 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game so far in the 2024-25 season.
The Mavericks, however, are among the best teams in the Western Conference. The Mavs players have continued to develop pivotal chemistry as the season has continued. They found their rhythm in early December, and Dallas is the hottest team in the NBA as of this story's writing.
As great of a player as Butler is, the Mavericks do not necessarily need him. Will rumors continue to swirl? Yes, but Mavs fans probably shouldn't expect the team to trade for Butler.
With that being said, anything can happen.