The Miami Heat have managed to steady the ship in recent weeks and are now up to 5th in the Eastern Conference table with a 12-10 record. That is decent considering how uninspiring this team had looked earlier on in the season.
They still have issues to work out though. One of them has to be the future of Jimmy Butler.
It is believed that Butler wanted a contract extension in the summer but he was not handed one by the organization. He has a player option for next season.
Unfortunately, Butler has continued to deal with fitness issues and has spent a couple of short spells out on the sidelines already this season. Also, his output has dropped slightly as well while Tyler Herro has taken on the role of the Heat’s main offensive outlet and thrived in that role as he is playing at an All-Star level right now.
Sooner or later, the Heat will need to make a decision regarding Butler, who is 35 years old and might no longer be someone they can rely on to get them to a Championship, despite his proven playoff record over the years.
One cannot rule out the possibility of a trade rather than risk seeing Butler walk away for nothing next offseason.
The Los Angeles Lakers, on the other hand, could do with someone like Butler. It feels like LeBron James and Anthony Davis need a third star alongside them in order to put up a genuine challenge for the Championship. After a strong start to the season, their form has faded away quickly and they have struggled to get wins lately.
In FadeAway World, Ishaan Bhattacharya has suggested a trade that would see the Lakers receive Butler and Alec Burks while the Heat would get D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht and 2031 First-Round Pick (LAL).
Of course, this would be a risky move on the part of both teams. The Heat would be saying goodbye to someone who has carried them to two NBA Finals. None of the players they would be acquiring in return are expected to be instant game-changers.
On the other hand, the Lakers would be parting ways with a lot of their depth. Knetch is someone who many view as having special potential and has already shown glimpses of that this season.
