The NBA season is about to begin but that doesn’t mean the trade chatter stops, in fact, it will only gain further traction as teams start to see the results of their transactions off-season in competitive games.
With the trade deadline on February 6, 2025, there is ample time for them to optimise their squad as they see fit which means more player movement.
Karl-Anthony Towns moving to the New York Knicks is the latest bombshell move that came out of the blue, to the extent that players themselves were surprised.
More big names can be expected to enter the trade conversation, be it through perilous contract situations, or disgruntlement with their current situation.
Amidst the chatter, NBA insider Tim McMahon has named the biggest candidate to be the next “star caliber” player to get traded.
NBA’s next star trade candidate
Towns’ move to the Knicks with Julius Randle going the other way has already set the bar quite high when it comes to big and shocking trades.
It follows fairly under-the-radar moves like DeMar DeRozan moving to the Sacramento Kings, or Klay Thompson finally breaking up the splash brothers by joining the Dallas Mavericks.
Tim McMahon was recently on The Hoop Collective podcast with Brian Windhorst and gave an interesting tidbit as to who could be next.
McMahon said that after speaking to people in and around the league, the situation at Miami Heat is one to keep an eye on as they try to figure out the ceiling of this team.
He said that their marquee man Jimmy Butler was called out by Pat Riley last year and with this being his contract year, the situation in Miami is “flammable”.
He said: “Coming off the stuff from last year, Pat Riley calling him out, Jimmy has a history of uncomfortable exits, so that whole situation is flammable.
“Maybe Jimmy follows through on what he says, you know, contract year, this a ‘prove-it’ type of year for him and he’s all-business…If you talk to people around the league and say, ‘Who’s the next big-name or star-caliber player who gets traded?’ there are at least some eyes on Jimmy Butler.
“Jimmy Butler’s gonna be a free agent next summer, he has not been extended, so that’s the question looming over all of it.”
Jimmy Butler’s history is clear
As McMahon says, Butler has a history of uncomfortable exits, with his exit from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA’s stuff of legends.
At 35, the time is running out for him to chase a championship and as his contract is expiring, he might be looking for fresh pastures.
Heat, as currently constructed, look like a side just below the championship teams and barring another superhuman effort by Butler, or a superstar leap by, say, Tyler Herro, are unlikely to be contenders.
Moreover, Riley is unlikely to be enamoured with the idea of giving a 35-year-old Butler, who has a lot of miles in his legs, a huge extension.
Therefore, it makes sense for both sides to explore their options before the deadline. They could be waiting to see how things pan out during the season and take a call.
As it stands, there is more likelihood of Butler being in new colours by February 6 than there is of him still being a Miami Heat player.
