Despite a slow start to the season, the Miami Heat are two games above .500 and possess the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Still, the franchise could shockingly blow up their roster by trading their aging superstar to the Boston Celtics.
“The Boston Celtics are stacked, but could the rich get richer,” Clutch Points’ Bailey Bassett wrote Wednesday.
“That is what would happen if the Celtics made a trade with the Heat for Jimmy Butler.”
“Considering how much talent they have, there would be seemingly no reason to do this, but Boston certainly fits the description of a championship-contending team that Butler could be interested in playing for.”
“Butler is a star, but he actually might not be good enough to even start on the Celtics.”
“Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are one of the best duos in basketball, and Jrue Holiday and Derrick White fill the backcourt spots perfectly with their elite two-way play.”
“Kristaps Porzingis is even back and healthy, too. Even so, the Celtics have had a lot of legendary players suit up for them over the years, and Butler could hypothetically be yet another.”
Two seasons ago, Butler and the Heat, the lowest-seeded team in the Eastern Conference, completed a pleasantly surprising run to the NBA finals.
Butler averaged 26.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per contest on 46.8% shooting from the field and 35.9% shooting from deep in 22 postseason games.
The following season, however, Butler suffered an MCL sprain and missed the entire postseason, causing the short-handed Heat to fall to the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.
Butler is doing his part this season to help Miami stay afloat, but the Heat aren’t 100% sold on the idea of the six-time All-Star finishing the season with the organization.
While Miami is open to trade talks regarding Butler, it’s unlikely the Heat will ship the Marquette product to the already-loaded Celtics between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
More NBA: Heat may swap Jimmy Butler for $50 million former Warriors splash brother via trade
