Jimmy Butler has been the hottest name in NBA trade chatter since the calendar flipped to 2025. The swirling rumors are expected to continue until he’s dealt, gets a new contract with the Miami Heat and/or the Feb. 6 trade deadline passes.
One of the teams that has been linked to the Marquette product is the Sacramento Kings, who, like Miami (17-17) are stuck around .500 with an 18-19 record.
While the Heat have dealt with all the Butler drama, the Kings have had a rough winter themselves, as they recently fired 2023 NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown. This came following a five-game losing streak and his frequent public criticism of Sacramento’s star guard De’Aaron Fox.
John Hollinger of The Athletic proposed a blockbuster trade idea between the Heat and Kings that would send Butler, plus a five-time All-Star teammate, out west in exchange for a three-player package that includes a six-time All-Star.
Hollinger’s Blockbuster Trade Proposal
Hollinger’s trade idea (which includes no draft picks on either side) looks like this:
Kings receive: Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love
Heat receive: DeMar DeRozan, Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles
The columnist explained first that, while Butler has been connected to the Phoenix Suns, a deal to the desert may not come to fruition.
“As for Butler, trading him to Phoenix for Bradley Beal and the Suns’ 2031 unprotected first (which they somehow haven’t gotten around to trading yet) is the only way for Phoenix to acquire him, but Beal has a no-trade clause. The other, bigger problem is that Beal has the worst contract in the league and the Heat don’t want him. Nor does anyone else, not if it involves paying him $111 million for the two years after this one,” Hollinger wrote.
Hollinger continues that his Heat-Kings swap is the only Butler move that “makes some sense.”
Why Hollinger Thinks The Trade Could Work
The potential blockbuster would give the Kings an aging 35-year-old Butler who is serving a seven-game, team-imposed suspension for his comments about his displeasure suiting up with Miami. Even when on the court this season, the 2011 draft pick (slated to hit unrestricted free agency this summer) hasn’t been his usual self.
While he’s shooting a career-high 55.2% from the field across 22 contests, his 17.6 points per game are his lowest since the 2013-14 campaign and his 4.7 assists are his worst since 2018-19. Butler has also been unreliable when it comes to durability, as he hasn’t played more than 65 games in a season since the 2016-17 campaign.
At 36 years old, Kevin Love is likely on the last leg of his NBA career, as he’s averaged just 8.1 points and 16.6 minutes across 92 games (27 starts) in two-plus seasons with the Heat. Even with Butler’s absence, the two-time All-NBA big man hasn’t taken the court in 2025 and has posted only 11.4 minutes per contest in 16 games (five starts) this season.
DeMar DeRozan, meanwhile, is a near-identical player as Butler, only a downgrade defensively but with less baggage.
Like Butler, the USC product is 35 years old (born one month apart) with six All-Star honors to his credit and is a solid mid-range shooter but inconsistent from beyond the arc. DeRozan was traded to Sacramento from the Chicago Bulls in July 2024 and signed a three-year, $70 million deal with his new squad.
DeRozan’s scoring (20.8 points per game) and assists (3.8) are his lowest totals since his 2014-15 campaign with the Toronto Raptors.
Shooting guard Kevin Huerter has regressed in his third season with the Kings, posting career lows in points (9.2) and assists per game (1.9) while shooting a career-worst 31.5% from beyond the arc in 33 games (15 starts).
Power forward Trey Lyles has chipped in 7.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per tilt in 20.8 minutes per game across 27 contests (two starts).
While Hollinger said the monster swap is a possibility, he added that it’s not likely to happen in the coming days.
“Everyone saves face: The Heat can still compete, get some cap relief and don’t have existential worries about free agency this coming summer, and the Kings can bail on the DeRozan experiment at 99 cents on the dollar and sell De’Aaron Fox on the fact they’re trying to get better. The money lines up, too,” he wrote. “Unfortunately, that’s probably not a deal the Kings are doing tomorrow. Maybe on deadline day, after they’ve run out ground balls on all their other options, but not in early January. It’s a complication with virtually any other potential partner, too — Butler might be one option, but I don’t think he’s the first option for anyone. Or even second or third.”
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