FREE AGENCY TRACKER: Miami Heat Finalize Deal For Jimmy Butler

The Miami Heat were not thought to be big players in free agency this summer, but that changed when everything opened on Sunday night.

Per multiple reports, the Heat are trying to put the finishing touches on a sign-and-trade deal with the Philadelphia 76ers that will land them guard Jimmy Butler. The swingman has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $142 million deal, but Miami and Philadelphia were still working out some aspects of the swap, such as the addition of Dallas as the third team. The Heat are reportedly sending Josh Richardson to Philadelphia as part of the deal and, at one point, guard Goran Dragic was on the move to Dallas in the trade. However, the status of the deal remains held up as of Monday.

The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reports the Heat have let Dragic’s representation know they plan to trade him and offered to work with them to achieve that. Among the teams that could acquire Dragic’s contract are the Los Angeles Lakers and LA Clippers — both of whom are waiting for a decision on Kawhi Leonard’s free agency. If the Heat can’t trade Dragic, they can accomplish the trade by trading Kelly Olynyk, Derrick Jones Jr. and two among Duncan Robinson, Yante Maten and Kendrick Nunn Jr.

Tim Cato of The Athletic reported early Monday that the three-team deal, as previously described, was called off. Jared Weiss, also of The Athletic, had previously reported a “glitch” between Dallas and Miami, as the Mavericks apparently believed they were getting Olynyk and Jones Jr. while the Heat intended to keep Jones and send Dragic instead, due to contract math.

Marc Stein of The New York Times later reported the deal’s “apparent collapse” has led the Sixers and Heat to seek a new trading partner and find a home for Dragic:

Miami and Philadelphia are determined to find a new third team to facilitate their Jimmy Butler sign-and-trade and ensure its completion, league sources say, after the apparent collapse of the teams’ talks with Dallas

Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News reports that the Mavs pulled out of acquiring Dragic because Dallas wanted to keep its options open for other moves this summer. Per ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, the Mavericks had interest in acquiring Dragic in the three-team deal. Dragic’s agent, Bill Duffy, told Shelburne that the Mavericks “changed course” on that aspect.

However, it seems the Heat intend to move Dragic by July 6, ESPN reports.

The Heat is still working on options to complete the Jimmy Butler sign and trade with Philadelphia, according to a league source. Out of respect for Goran Dragic, the Heat are working with him and his representatives to find a trade partner by July 6.

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Butler met with the Heat right when free agency began at 6 p.m. Sunday and made clear that he wanted to be in Miami.

After arriving from the Minnesota Timberwolves in a November trade that capped one of the 2018 calendar year’s longest-running sagas, Butler proved crucial to the Philadelphia 76ers’ ascension toward the top of the Eastern Conference, hitting clutch shots and keeping the offense humming while providing shutdown defense.

Jimmy Butler was one of the most sought-after swingmen in free agency.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the deal with the Heat, with confirmations and additional detail quickly following from Shams Charania of The Athletic and Marc Stein of The New York Times.

Though it was initially reported by local media that Dragic was headed to the Mavericks as part of a three-team deal, Stein later updated the Dallas haul to include Kelly Olynyk and Derrick Jones Jr. — with Dragic remaining a member of the Heat.

In 55 games with the 76ers, Butler averaged 18.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.9 steals while shooting 46.7 percent overall and 34.7 percent from 3-point range. Playing alongside a stacked starting five in Philadelphia, particularly after the deadline acquisition of Tobias Harris, Butler averaged fewer than 20 points for the first time since 2014-15.

But the ball often ended up in Butler’s hands during crucial moments, both as an initiator and finisher. A four-time All-Star who also earned four All-Defensive Second Team nods in his eight seasons, Butler wields a two-way skill set that has long been held in high regard, though his always-on intensity has occasionally led to infamous flare-ups. Most notably, Butler’s first preseason practice appearance for the Timberwolves last season lit NBA Twitter on fire with its by-the-minute, can-you-break-more updates on scrimmage success and soul-crushing trash talk.

On the Sixers side, Richardson broke through as a multi-positional threat for the Heat last season, his fourth after being drafted in the second round (No. 40 overall) in 2015. Steadily improving each year, the 6-foot-6 swingman averaged career-highs across the board in 2018-19, putting up 16.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.1 steals in 34.8 minutes per game. He shot 41.2 percent overall and 35.7 percent on a career-high 6.3 attempts from 3-point range.

The 28-year-old Olynyk, who signed as a free agent with Miami two summers back, averaged 10.0 points and 4.7 rebounds in 22.9 minutes across 79 games (36 starts) in 2018-19. Jones, a 22-year-old best known for his dunking prowess, was originally signed by the Heat to a two-way contract in December 2017. In 60 games last season, mostly off the bench, Jones averaged 7.0 points and 4.0 rebounds, shooting 49.4 percent from the field in 19.2 minutes per game.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.