The Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler are headed for a nasty divorce, as both sides have outgrown each other. Since his trade request about two weeks ago, the market around Butler has been fairly quiet, with ESPN’s Brian Windhorst saying teams are offering Miami the “poo-poo platter.”
Butler returned from his seven-game suspension on Friday night against the Denver Nuggets but has reportedly doubled down on his trade request after meeting with Heat owner Mickey Arison. Butler has interest from a few contenders, most notably the Phoenix Suns, but one team stands out as a bad fit for him.
The Sacramento Kings shouldn't trade for Jimmy Butler due to their roster construction.
The Kings have had an up-and-down year that has included them firing head coach Mike Brown. Since then, though, they have gone 8-2 in their last ten games under interim head coach Doug Christie. Even in the midst of De’Aaron Fox trade rumors, the team has played with a high level of effort and has not let the distractions affect the locker room.
Sacramento does not have any documented reported interest in Butler, but Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes proposed a deal that sent out DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, and a first-round pick to the Heat for Butler.
While the Kings do rid themselves of Huerter’s bad contract, this trade is not worth it for them long-term. For starters, Butler will reportedly not sign an extension with any team that trades for him, as he aims to be a free agent in 2025.
Secondly, even if he does want to sign an extension with Sacramento, he would want max money, and he would be the Kings’ third max-level player, along with Fox and Sabonis. That would send Sacramento soaring towards the first or second apron and would lock them into that core for the foreseeable future.
The basketball fit is not bad in theory, as the Kings are seventh in the NBA in offensive rating with a non-shooting, ball-dominant wing in DeRozan, and Butler would bring more defensive ability. However, with the team looking to develop younger guys like Keon Ellis, Keegan Murray, and Devin Carter, trading for an aging superstar that would take meaningful reps away from them would not be wise.
While the Kings have turned their season around, adding Butler would not be the game-changing move they need to make to move up the West standings. They should be focusing on adding players like Cam Johnson, Brandon Ingram, and others as the trade deadline approaches.