The Miami Heat are fifth in the Eastern Conference with a 12-11 record, and while they have won three straight games and seven of their last ten, the team is a far cry from the 2023 squad that made it to the NBA Finals. Likewise, trading for Terry Rozier last season hasn't yet panned out as fans expected, though they've seen terrific production from Tyler Herro, who hit nine threes in their 134-93 demolition of the LA Lakers. However, one of the facts remain that their leader, Jimmy Butler, is 35 years old, and the Heat seem ready to move on from him, as reports said they were open to listening to offers. As a result, Paul Pierce made an intriguing suggestion for a trade destination should the Heat send Jimmy Butler away.
“If I had to guess… The best fit for Jimmy Butler would probably be the Denver Nuggets… I think you're going to be seeing him & [Nikola Jokic] raise another championship trophy, if they don't have to play the Celtics,” Pierce said on Speak on FS1, seen in this clip shared by ClutchPoints on X, formerly Twitter.
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Should the Heat trade their leader?
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler's (22) looks on before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first half at Kaseya Center.
© Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
This season, Jimmy Butler has averaged 19.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists for the Heat, while shooting a career-best 55.7% from the field, but, per reports, the team has expressed an openness to trade offers from other teams.
“The Heat are open to listening to offers for Butler and making a deal if the proposal is right,” reported NBA insider Shams Charania for ESPN.
Moreover, Charania added that Jimmy himself is open to a trade, though he has some requirements before he agrees to any deal.
“Butler's agent, Bernie Lee, has indicated in league circles that Butler is open to destinations such as [the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks] and the Golden State Warriors,” the insider said. “Above all, though, he is believed to prefer a win-now title contender in any trade.”
Now, this last caveat should eliminate several teams from possible trade discussions with the Heat, which includes Paul Pierce's suggested trade destination for Jimmy Butler: the Denver Nuggets.
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True enough, Nikola Jokic is the NBA's best player, but the Nuggets may have to send away valuable assets like Jamal Murray, though he has underperformed his contract extension.
The Nuggets' current roster is simply not good without Jokic and sending away Murray or Michael Porter Jr.–one of the few bright spots on the team–would only cripple the team further.
On the other hand, Butler would take a heavy load off Jokic's shoulders on offense, and his defensive intensity might even rub off on the Serbian whose Achilles' heel is his slowness on defense.
Also, a general rule in the NBA is that you always trade for talent and figure out the fit later, but it's also a huge gamble. Just ask the Lakers who traded for Russell Westbrook in 2022.