The Cleveland Cavaliers get to watch the latest superstar trade drama with a box of popcorn in hand.
As teams around the league consider their lack of star talent and consider a blockbuster trade, the Cavaliers have their star talent already set. They have not one but four All-Star level players, and it has led to an explosive 30-4 start. Their Trade Deadline shopping list is for role players, not stars.
That means that as Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat continue to escalate their beef the Cavaliers are watching, not engaging. There is a case to be made to trade for Jimmy Butler, but it's not a strong one, and it's almost certain that it wouldn't even motivate Koby Altman and the front office to pick up the phone.
The Jimmy Butler trade saga is escalating
Tension between Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat has continued to grow over the past few weeks. After rumors began to circulate that Butler wanted out, he sat out over a week of games due to an "illness" -- while at the same time Heat President Pat Riley officially declared that the team would not be trading him.
That led to Butler returning and giving a pair of lackluster performances as he essentially just stood in the corner and let the game pass him by. When asked about it after a Miami loss on Thursday, Butler responded that he has "lost his joy" and that he would "probably not" find it by staying in Miami.
Things only escalated from there, with the Heat suspending Butler Friday for seven games without pay due to "conduct detrimental to the team" ensuring he wouldn't be with the Heat through a six-game road trip -- and giving the franchise time to field trade offers. The team officially stated that they were "open for business" on Butler trade offers.
Through his actions and statements, he has shown he no longer wants to be part of this team. Jimmy Butler and his representative have indicated that they wish to be traded, therefore, we will listen to offers.
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) January 4, 2025
With the Heat so publicly open to trading Butler, any NBA team now interested can submit their best offers. Which teams could be interested? The Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets could put together intriguing packages, while the Phoenix Suns are at the top of Butler's list but would need Miami to be open to taking back Bradley Beal -- which is highly unlikely.
Other teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers, the LA Clippers, the Memphis Grizzlies and the Denver Nuggets have been discussed, and there could be trade suitors who emerge out of nowhere to join the negotiations, similar to how the Cleveland Cavaliers suddenly leapt into the Donovan Mitchell trade market and ended up pulling off the deal.
Will this trade saga have an effect on the Cleveland Cavaliers? Any deal has ripples that spread throughout the league, especially when it's a star player known for elevating his game in the playoffs. Yet as you look back at that list of teams, every one is in the Western Conference. The primary competition the Cavs face at the top of the East, the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks, are not in the mix for a Jimmy Butler trade.
In fact, there is just one outcome that the Cavaliers genuinely don't want from this Jimmy Butler trade drama, and it's not one specific team trading for him - in fact, it's just the opposite.
The Cavaliers don't want Jimmy Butler to patch things up with the Miami Heat.
The worst income for Cleveland? Butler staying put
Jimmy Butler staying in Miami because the Heat don't like their trade offers but the two sides continuing to feud is a fine outcome; it would completely dissolve the Heat as a playoff contender and prevent any other team in the league from improving.
If the Heat and Pat Riley come together and cease hostilities, agreeing to work together at least through the rest of this season and try to pull together toward reaching another NBA Finals, it would create the worst situation for the Cavaliers.
The most difficult place for the Cavs to play over the recent past has been Miami. Whether that is due to the strength of their teams, the savvy of their head coach Erik Spoelstra, or something often referred to as the "South Beach Flu" they have repeatedly stumbled when facing the Heat.
In the summer of 2010, the Miami Heat beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in recruiting LeBron James to play home games in South Beach. From that point, the Miami Heat won 20-straight games in Miami, a span completely encapsulating LeBron's four-year return to Cleveland. He took the Cavs to four-straight NBA Finals but couldn't win in Miami.
That streak was finally broken in 2021, but the Cavs still struggle in Miami. Both games in South Florida in 2024 ended with Heat victories, including the Cavaliers' last loss on December 8th. Since then, the Cavs have reeled off nine-straight wins. Cleveland is having its best start in franchise history and they still have a loss in Miami.
What this team does not want to see as they reach the postseason are the battle-tested Miami Heat, led by a locked-in and invigorated Jimmy Butler, standing on the opposite side of a 1-8 matchup. The Cavaliers would obviously be favored, but of all the potential opponents in the first round, the Heat are the last ones any contender wants to see -- and especially the Cavs.
Miami just pulled off such an upset, taking down the Milwaukee Bucks two seasons ago as the eighth seed, then continuing through to the NBA Finals where they faced the Denver Nuggets. Jimmy Butler is capable of great feats in the playoffs, and if he decides to commit to at least the rest of this season with the Heat, they could be a formidable opponent.
The Cleveland Cavaliers are incredible this season, and shouldn't fear any opponent. Given the choice between facing Butler and the Heat or seeing the Chicago Bulls or Indiana Pacers on the other end of that ledger, the choice is clear.
The worst outcome for the Cavaliers is Jimmy Butler choosing to stay put.