It’s crazy to think that this same Miami Heat team made it all the way to the NBA Finals just last season.
They’ve now dropped seven consecutive games and look far from the contending team they once were, and not even trading Kyle Lowry for Terry Rozier has done anything to help their cause.
Recently, former NBA champion Kendrick Perkins claimed that Pat Riley should do right by Jimmy Butler and trade him to a championship contender.
And while that seems quite unlikely at this point, oddsmakers are already making calculations and projections about his potential next destination.
Per Bovada, the New York Knicks emerged as the likeliest landing spot for Butler if he’s, indeed, moved (via NBA Central).
The New York Knicks are considered the favorites to acquire Jimmy Butler if the Miami Heat decide to trade him, per @BovadaOfficial
New York Knicks: +210
Philadelphia 76ers: +225
Sacramento Kings: +325
Brooklyn Nets: +475
Dallas Mavericks: +600
Golden State Warriors: +700
New… pic.twitter.com/CCo5Q7RsHQ— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 31, 2024
The Philadelphia 76ers, Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, and New Orleans Pelicans round up the list of teams potentially looking to trade for him.
It’s hard to think of the Heat moving on from Jimmy.
He’s not getting any younger, and he does make a lot of money, but he’s also a proven winner and a leader in this league.
The Knicks do have more than enough assets to make a run at pretty much every single player they set their sights on, and perhaps only the Oklahoma City Thunder could offer more draft picks than them right now.
He might enjoy a reunion with Tom Thibodeau and a pairing with another gritty defender like OG Anunoby.
But barring a major turn of events, that might not happen at all.
NEXT: Insider Shares 1 Concern About The Miami Heat