Scan the league, filter out the teams that have no interest in acquiring a 35-year-old potential free-agent Jimmy Butler, and you’re left with a handful of long-shot options who’d have to bend over backwards to get a deal done.

Spotrac’s Keith Smith laid out the incredibly complex nature of potential Butler trades to his preferred destinations—Houston, Dallas, Golden State and Phoenix—and every one of them comes with prohibitive complications.

Salary caps, aprons and finances aside, reports and logic also suggest a Butler move is far from a foregone conclusion.

The Rockets have said they’re not in the market for an in-season blockbuster. The Mavericks would have to aggregate several players to get a deal done for a third scoring star who wouldn’t be an ideal fit. As for the Suns, Bradley Beal could have gone to the Heat when he left Washington, but he didn’t. He has a no-trade clause to prevent it from ever happening.

The Warriors are the likeliest landing spot, but would Golden State really improve enough by swapping out Andrew Wiggins, Jonathan Kuminga and more (plus future picks) for Butler?

Few teams project to have significant cap space next summer, and the Brooklyn Nets are the only one in line to have over $40 million. Though ESPN’s Shams Charania reported Butler intends to decline his $52 million player option for 2025-26, the financial reality is that it will be difficult, if not impossible, for him to make more than that next season.

Combine all those roadblocks, and it’s harder to see Butler moving than any other big name we’ll discuss. A trade isn’t impossible, but outside of Golden State, it’s extremely difficult to see how it happens.