The Miami Heat saw a glimpse of life without Jimmy Butler as they went 3-4 in their seven-game West Coast trip, which coincided with their disgruntled star’s suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
Over their last seven games, despite Tyler Herro‘s rise as an All-Star candidate, the Heat had a bottom-five offense. But their top-seven defense kept them afloat.
Clearly, they need to juice up their offense if they want to contend and find a suitable replacement for Butler, who’s decided to leave Miami — whether that happens before the February 6 trade deadline or in the offseason.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley pushed for what he thinks is a “realistic” trade proposal to land former NBA champion Kyle Kuzma as Butler’s replacement at the expense of one of their young nucleus, 21-year-old forward Nikola Jović.
Miami Heat receive: Kyle Kuzma and a 2027 second-round pick (via BRK or DAL)
Washington Wizards receive: Duncan Robinson, Nikola Jović and Josh Richardson
Kuzma isn’t on Butler’s level but he could be a better complementary piece next to Herro and Bam Adebayo who could help the Heat now than wait for Jovic, who is still years away from realizing his potential.
According to Buckley, Kuzma “could help fill Butler’s role for isolation scoring, secondary creation and, when Kuzma is really dialed-in, defensive versatility.”
With the Boston Celtics’ regression over their last 15 games backing up the Heat’s reported belief that the defending champions are beatable, reloading with Kuzma and “whatever Miami manages to bring back for Butler puts this club in a better position to compete right now,” according to Buckley.
Heat Kept Tabs on Kyle Kuzma: Report
The Heat have interest in Kuzma as Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto reported on December 2, 2024, that they were one of the several teams who have kept tabs on the Washington Wizards star.
Other teams on that list include the Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Cleveland Cavaliers, Scotto reported.
The 29-year-old Kuzma doesn’t fit the Wizards’ rebuilding timeline. It’s just a matter of time and the right offer for the Wizards to let him go.
Kuzma is still feeling his way around the Wizards’ young roster since he returned from a 12-game absence due to sprained rib cartilage. He had only one double-digit scoring game over his first five games since he returned to the lineup.
A change of scenery especially moving to a playoff contender like the Heat could rejuvenate Kuzma, who averaged a career-best 22.2 points last season.
Kuzma, who is a 6-foot-9 forward with a 7-foot wingspan, is bigger than Butler and shoots more from the 3-point line. Plus, he has a championship experience as the third-best player in a Lakers team that won, ironically, over the Heat in 2020 in the Orlando bubble.
Nikola Jović’s Potential
Jović has shown flashes this season, scoring in double figures in 16 of 30 games. But just like any young player, who’s still trying to find his footing in the NBA, he’s been inconsistent.
On January 11, against the Portland Trail Blazers, Jović looked like a budding star when he dropped 21 points on 8-of-12 shooting with eight rebounds and five assists. But two nights later in Los Angeles, the Serbian forward showed up with a five-point dud on 1-of-10 shooting against the Clippers.
That up-and-down performance won’t cut it for the Heat in the postseason. Giving him up for Kuzma might come back to haunt them down the road but it’s a fair price to pay for a championship-savvy veteran.
“This time last year, Washington wanted a pair of first-round picks for him, per NBA insider Marc Stein. In this theoretical swap, the only pick to change hands is the future second heading to South Beach.
It’s tough to quibble with that price. Even if Heat fans would bemoan missing out on Jović’s potential, this front office could be much more concerned with the potentially significant upgrade in present production from Kuzma,” Buckley wrote.
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