by Steven Rasco
With the NBA season at its halfway point, the Trade Deadline is fast approaching, with some teams becoming sellers after a very underwhelming season and others trying to find that missing piece to unlock their fullest competitive potential.
The story of the season, however, has been that of Jimmy Butler’s inevitable breakup with Miami after what has been a chaotic mess of a showdown between player and organization. This along with the very recent and surprising news that Sacramento is open to the idea of trading Fox before the 6th will make for a very exciting Trade Deadline.
With that in mind let’s dive into the Feb. 6 deadline which is sure to bring exciting and dramatic Changes in the next 8 days.
Recap of Trades
Before diving into the big names left in the trade market as well as rumors and drama, it’s important to keep in mind the trades that have already been made this season.
Jan. 21: Suns Acquire three first-round picks from the Jazz
Suns Get:
three (2027, 2025, 2029) first round picks all being least favorable of Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah
Utah Get:
Suns 2031 first round pick
Jan. 15: Suns Receive Nick Richards for Josh Okogie. and 3 second-round picks
Suns Get: Nick Richards
2025 second-round pick (via Denver)
Hornets Get: Josh Okogie
2026, 2031 second round picks (via denver) and 2031 second-round pick (via Phoenix)
Dec. 29: Lakers acquire Dorian Finney-Smith, sending D’Angelo Russel to The Nets
Lakers Get: Dorian Finney-Smith & Shake Milton
Nets Get: D’Angelo Russel & Maxwell Lewis
3 second-round picks (2027, 2030, and 2031)
Dec. 16: Warriors acquire Dennis Schroder, sending Anthony Melton to The Nets
Warriros Get: Dennis Schroder
2025 second-round pick (via Miami)
Nets Get: De’Athony Melton & Reece Beekman
2026, 2028 second-round picks (via Atlanta) and 2029 second-round pick (via Golden State)
Talks around the NBA
Butler Market
The trade deadline, though it has brought some fun trades with competitive teams trying to pick up small pieces to make a championship team, has been somewhat uneventful. This being one of the most anticipated and exciting times of the season, most fans are waiting for the Zach Lavines, the Jimmy Butlers, the Brandon Ingrams of the league to be moved. But to find out what is taking so long for a lot of these big name players then you have to go back to that second name, Jimmy Butler.
The Jimmy Butler era with Miami brought two finals runs, two of three conference finals, and some of the most unforgettable playoff moments from one player. With a player who has given all he has to an organization, being so in love with a city and its fans, you would never expect said player to “lose their joy”. This was the case with Jimmy, however, as he stated in a postgame press conference.
"I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball. Wherever that may be, we'll find out here pretty soon," Butler said after a 15 point loss to the Pacers.
Butler then faced a series of suspensions from the team. The first suspension lasting five games, the next for two, and now he faces what is being called an indefinite suspension. The Miami Heat seem to be looking for any way to not have to pay Jimmy Butler while having him away from the team.
This became apparent as his second suspension was due to him missing the team flight after they scheduled it earlier than normal. The latest suspension however has come after Jimmy’s return to a shoot-around with the Miami Heat, where he was told that Haywood Highsmith would be starting over him, which prompted the 6x All-Star to exit the facility. The Heat have clearly grown tired of Jimmy’s antics per multiple sources they are even lowering their asking price for the star, as they would just like to move on before the Feb. 6 deadline.
Now what does one player have to do with the entire trade market?
It’s simple, the Heat isn’t finding many returns that fit their interests, with one team in particular aggressively pursuing a trade for Butler, being the Phoenix Suns. The Suns have tried offering Bradley Beal, who the Heat have no interest in not only due to his costly contract but the fact that it includes a No-Trade Clause. This has forced the Suns to find another team to offload Beal’s contract to, meaning a multi-team trade is going to be required for Phoenix to get their hands on Jimmy Butler. Teams that have been mentioned for such a deal have been the Chicago Bulls, Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors, Toronto Raptors and New Orleans Pelicans.
The Phoenix Suns as recapped above, have unlocked 3 first round picks seemingly to gain more assets for the upcoming Blockbuster trade. Phoenix is in clear win now mode and will seemingly appease as much as possible to what Miami wants.
Some interesting trade targets that might get moved as a result of this upcoming multi-team trade are Zach Lavine, Khris Middleton, Bobby Portis Jr., Marcus Smart, Jaylen Wells, Brandon Ingram, Nikola Vucevic, Jonathan Kuminga and Andrew Wiggins.
For the most part, these are all names that were expected to be moved by the deadline, so with those teams being named as potential contributors to a Butler trade, it can be seen why it seems like there haven’t been any significant changes as of yet. This shows just how impactful the Jimmy Butler standoff with the Heat has been to the trade market, as the result of it can change multiple rosters and dynamics in the league.
Fox Hunting
The Sacramento Kings have made the shocking decision to open up to talks surrounding All-Star De’Aaron Fox ahead of the of the Feb. 6 deadline, via Shams Charania. This Shams Bomb comes as a surprise to many, especially considering the recent form of the Kings as they have crawled out from being 5 games below .500 to two games above it, going 7-3 in their last 10 games. This might be enough in the weak Eastern Conference, but in the West it gets them only to the 10th spot.
According to Chris B. Haynes, the star player’s reluctance to sign an extension with the team seems to be what has given the Kings the sense that they should trade him away before he lowers in value, due to his contract expiring in 2026.
Shams Charania reported that Fox has a preferred destination, that has yet to be revealed to the reporter, with many favoriting the Spurs, Rockets, and Heats as the teams most likely to be where he wants to go. De’Aaron Fox wanting a trade to two of the three Texas teams should come to no surprise as Fox grew up in Houston and his wife is from San Antonio, making the state itself home.
The All-Star seems to be fond of the idea of playing with a generational player in Wembenyama, with some reporters stating that he believes he could be the missing piece to push the Spurs into a title contender for many years. With many assets to trade, the Spurs would most likely have the most enticing offer out of the three teams as they reportedly would go all in for the guard, even if they have to trade future assets.
The Houston Rockets being that of a young and gritty team have had their eyes on Fox for a while as they have been long in search for a piece that will make them a danger in the West for years to come. Even with that, the Rockets have reportedly been more interested in seeing their current young roster play out the rest of the season before they decide to shake things up.
The Miami Heat, a team that is already majorly embedded into the trade market have come out as the betting favorites to trade for the player. This should come as no surprise as no different to the Rockets, Miami has as well had their eye on Fox for a while as a key piece that aligns with a timeline of the team. Bam Adebayo of the Heat and Fox were teammates in Kentucky and it has been no secret the great bond they shared since they were 12 which shows that it would make sense if Miami was the preferred destination, as the desire to play together in the NBA must surely be there between the two. This along with Pat Riley’s strong desire to keep his team competitive shows the strong incentive for a Fox in South Beach.
With De’Aaron Fox’s agent being that of Rich Paul, the most influential, and demanding sports agent there is, Fox will most likely get what he wants at the end. According to Sam Amick of The Athletic, Rich Paul put out a word to the Kings that it would be wise for the Kings to move him now. This is a clear power play from one of the best agents in the game to get his player what he wants as soon as possible.
With shocking new stars available, conflicting drama, and little time remaining this Feb. 6th trade deadline is sure to bring much excitement to the fans who love the game and the spectacle it brings. If you are a fan of the NBA get ready to buckle up for what is sure to be a rollercoaster of the next few days.
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