With under one week until the NBA trade deadline, a level of unpredictability still exists due to how quickly everything shifts during this time of the year. Not too long ago, Jimmy Butler led the Miami Heat to the NBA Finals. Now, his time with the Heat is coming to an end in the ugliest fashion. This year’s NBA trade deadline and all the rumors not only focus on Butler and his situation but also on that of De’Aaron Fox and the Sacramento Kings as well.

Fox has been the main topic of discussion across the league ever since reports of the Kings being open to a trade surfaced. Not much has gone right in Sacramento through the years, and now it may end up costing them Fox, a player who has been nothing but loyal to the franchise that drafted him and has still yet to ask for a trade.

This is simply the Kings trying to get ahead of the curve — a curve that they created themselves due to a lack of patience.

Of course, Fox’s situation is unique because, unlike Butler, whom Miami really needs to move as soon as they can, Sacramento doesn’t really have a need to move their franchise cornerstone. Fox wants to get paid, as any young superstar in the NBA wants, and he wants to be in a winning situation where the trajectory only points up. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the San Antonio Spurs are his top destination, even if he or his agent, Rich Paul of Klutch Sports, won’t definitively say so.

Everyone around the league knows that Fox’s preferred destination is next to Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio — a notion that has become all too familiar for several stars and their agents recently. However, in Fox’s case, is this truly his intentions or is it more Paul’s doing?

When it comes to representing the best this league has to offer, Paul has cemented himself as one of the marquee agents in the NBA. At the same time, this agenda of getting his All-Stars to play alongside Wembanyama as it relates to Fox is a tactic he has already tried.

Before leaving Klutch Sports at the conclusion of the 2023-24 season, Atlanta Hawks star guard Trae Young was being linked to the Spurs. This past offseason, Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star Darius Garland was being heavily linked to the Spurs in trade rumors, yet Garland never asked the Cavs to trade him there.

These two instances aren’t a coincidence, especially when you also factor in New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram being linked to San Antonio this season after recently switching agencies to Klutch Sports.

Paul clearly wants his players next to Wemby, raising suspicion among some league personnel as to whether there is more to this situation than meets the eye. More specifically, some have raised the question of whether surrounding Wembanyama with his clients will create a path for the Spurs star possibly joining Klutch Sports. Wembanyama has been happy with his current agent, Bouna Ndiaye, who is highly respected around the NBA and the international ranks when it comes to representing French basketball players.

With this said, these are just rumors formulated from league personnel who share the valuable trade intel you see daily. Constant chatter and smoke are created before the trade deadline, yet the situations regarding Butler and Fox are very real. Both All-Stars are involved in constant rumors and could be on the move ahead of the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline.

Whether or not Butler or Fox is moved will tell the tale of how what is being labeled as a likely quiet trade deadline will play out. After all, it takes just one match to be lit before everything catches fire.

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Heat fielding multiple offers for Jimmy Butler

Have you ever watched a movie over and over again because your kid, family member, significant other, friend, or whoever wanted to keep watching it? Don’t you get tired of seeing the same thing?

That is where everyone who covers the NBA rumor mill and trade deadline is at right now. The writing had been on the wall since the offseason that Butler was going to cause a scene in Miami, especially after Pat Riley literally told him to shut up and not talk about the team if he wasn’t going to play in the postseason. On top of all of that, the Heat were unwilling to meet Butler and his agent’s demands for a contract extension since he still had two more seasons on his current contract.

Well, this has led to the most drama-filled story of the 2024-25 season to this point. Butler has been suspended three times, he is now suspended indefinitely, and Kevin Love has become a must-follow on Instagram because he is constantly creating new memes about Jimmy’s standoff with Riley and the Heat. Seriously, though, Love does not care in the slightest and is definitely Team Butler on this one. What are the Heat going to do, cut him? Go ahead, he will just sign with a contending team!

So where were we? Oh yeah, Jimmy Butler’s situation with the Heat with the trade deadline on Thursday.

Well, Miami is desperate for a deal, and their asking price has dropped drastically compared to what it was before the holiday season. Still, any team wanting to get Butler is going to have to give the Heat some sort of value because Riley isn’t going to accept a 50 percent-off coupon to Benihana and an envelope full of scratch-off lottery tickets.

The Heat still have two All-Star talents in Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro, which is why unloading Butler and rebuilding isn’t an option. Instead, the idea is to try to get some draft compensation while also adding two or three secondary players who can improve Miami’s overall depth. There is also an agenda in Miami of the organization not wanting to take back long-term contracts to have flexibility to pursue various All-Star talents that could become available this summer and in 2026.

This season, the market for stars is slim at the trade deadline. Then again, Fox is available, and he’s a player the Heat hold a lot of interest in, league sources told ClutchPoints. If there were a deal to be had where they could get Fox, even if he wanted to leave in 2026, Miami would do it. The problem is that the Kings hold zero interest in Butler, according to Sam Amick at The Athletic. No reporter around the NBA has covered the Fox and Kings situation better than Sam, so definitely stay in the loop on his reports.

Aside from the dream of landing Fox, the Heat have received calls from a handful of teams inquiring about Butler. Over the last week, Miami has heard from the Phoenix Suns, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, and Golden State Warriors, sources said. This should come as no surprise, as these are the four teams that have been linked to Butler for months.

The idea of the Philadelphia 76ers having interest in bringing back Butler and possibly moving Paul George not even a full year into his new contract is something rival teams believe to be true. If you are the Sixers, good luck finding a team that would want to take on George’s contract if they’re actually wanting this to be a real possibility. Nobody has wanted to take on Bradley Beal’s contract, so why would they do so for George if the 76ers were actually pursuing Butler?

That brings us to the Suns, the team that holds the most interest in Butler. If Beal didn’t own a no-trade clause, he would’ve likely been traded at this point in a multi-team deal for Phoenix to acquire Butler. This no-trade clause has complicated all the Suns’ interest in Butler, and it doesn’t appear as if there is any interest from Beal and his agent to see a change right now.

“Brad worked hard to earn a no-trade clause. We earned it and we have it — and it is really valuable,” Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein recently told ESPN. “Does that mean that he would never, ever accept a trade? No. You always have an open mind and you always are willing to listen to things that you think might be great.

“But at this time, there’s nothing we’re considering.”

Due to Beal holding onto his no-trade clause and no traction being made here, the Suns’ pursuit of Butler has stalled. The Suns still have eyes for Jimmy, but Beal holds the power in these negotiations. Unless Phoenix can somehow move Beal, they can’t have Butler. This is why there has been talk of the Suns shifting their focus to other ways to upgrade their roster ahead of the trade deadline, specifically using Jusuf Nurkic and their three first-round picks as tradable assets.

Of course, if anything changes regarding Beal, the Suns will do everything they can to get Butler.

Elsewhere in Butler trade talks, the Grizzlies and Bucks loom as dark-horse suitors. Whereas Milwaukee would need to move a ton of contracts, including Khris Middleton, to get out of the second apron and trade for Butler, the Grizzlies have a much clearer path.

Despite reports of Butler not wanting to play for the Grizzlies, they still hold genuine interest in acquiring Butler before the trade deadline, sources said. The main reason for this: a two- or three-month Butler rental results in the Grizzlies opening the door to a plethora of available funds for a Jaren Jackson Jr. contract extension.

By packaging Marcus Smart with others like Brandon Clarke, Luke Kennard, and John Konchar, a path to adding Butler becomes clear in Memphis. The only problems are that Kennard has an implicit no-trade clause and the Grizzlies are one of the best teams in the league. Would they really want to sacrifice some key secondary assets and likely a draft pick for a disgruntled star who is nothing more than a means to cap relief?

The idea of contending for a championship right now with a core of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, Jackson, and Butler sounds appealing on paper, but in reality, this situation seems very shaky. Even so, the Grizzlies haven’t gone away in these trade conversations Miami is having.

For the Bucks, Middleton’s decline and prolonged injury troubles have opened the door to the possibility of major changes. Along with holding interest in a potential Butler trade, the Bucks have also been rumored to hold interest in Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine, who is also being heavily linked to the Warriors.

So, will Butler be traded? At this point, the Heat would be smart to just cut ties with the star and get anything they can because there is no way they can bring him back after this third suspension.

With this said, Butler is still under contract, and the Heat can explore the possibility of having him opt into his $52 million player option or opting out to pursue a sign-and-trade. Miami doesn’t necessarily need to trade Butler before Thursday to eventually get something for him.

Kings serious about De’Aaron Fox trade?

A decision to trade De’Aaron Fox would have massive consequences for the Sacramento Kings, an organization that looked to be one of the next teams up in the Western Conference after putting an end to their playoff drought in 2023. Darkness now looms large over this franchise once more, with Fox’s future very much in question ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

While it was news to everyone over the last week that the Kings are more open than ever to trading Fox before he eventually demands out in search of the San Antonio Spurs, this wasn’t new to the organization. Ever since Rich Paul’s meeting with Kings personnel and ownership, there has been a sense that Sacramento has been exploring all of its options regarding Fox.

Teams have inquired about his availability over the last month, and even more focus has been put on the topic since conversations about Fox’s future leaked to the media on Tuesday, signaling that the Kings were opening up trade talks centered around the star.

No matter what teams are interested, the Kings don’t need to move Fox right now.

Fox and Paul have simply put this organization on the clock, given that he hasn’t signed an extension and is eyeing free agency in 2026, when he could jump ship and choose his next destination. It is always possible that Fox will be traded within the next several days leading up to the deadline, but what does this achieve for the Kings?

The only way this franchise can maximize value in a Fox trade is by doing so in the offseason. That is when more draft picks become available and teams are more willing to sacrifice young talents. These types of trades simply don’t happen in the middle of the season, and if you need any proof of that, just go back to the Donovan Mitchell trade that the Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers made a few seasons ago.

By possibly creating a bidding war for Fox’s services in the offseason, the Kings can maximize their future and even make it easier for themselves to move DeMar DeRozan, who basically said he would want out if Fox were to leave.

It is no secret to anyone around the league that the Spurs and Fox hold a mutual interest. His fit alongside Wembanyama is apparent, and that duo could become the best in the Western Conference for years to come.

That said, the Spurs don’t appear motivated to trade for Fox right now. The speculated asking price of either Devin Vassell or Stephon Castle doesn’t interest San Antonio, and this team isn’t ready to contend yet, so why sacrifice assets now if Fox is going to end up going there in 2026 anyway?

Other teams that have been heavily linked to Fox as of late include the Heat, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic, and Brooklyn Nets. Despite being a Klutch Sports client, the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t said to be a logical suitor for Fox.

As recently reported by NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Lakers hold no interest in giving up Austin Reaves. This has been the norm for the Lakers dating back to the trade deadline last season when Dejounte Murray was on their radar.

When you look at the Nets, it certainly makes sense for them to want a young star like Fox to build around. Then again, Brooklyn is tanking this season and isn’t going to go all out right now to bring in Fox. Check back in with the Nets when the offseason rolls around.

The same can be said of the Rockets regarding the offseason. Houston has solidified itself as one of the best teams in the league this season and has continuously made it clear that they aren’t ready to make decisions about their young core.

The Heat and Magic are two teams that could trade for Fox right now, and such a move would make a lot of sense. Aside from all the drama stemming from Butler’s situation, Miami needs a clear primary playmaker and backcourt scorer next to Tyler Herro, like Fox. If they were to find a multi-team deal to unload Butler and bring in Fox, the Heat would do so with the intention of possibly changing the All-Star guard’s mind, similar to what the Cavs did with Mitchell.

It was always a foregone conclusion that Mitchell would join the New York Knicks, yet he found a long-term home upon being traded to the Cavaliers. Something similar could end up happening with Fox in the right situation.

Orlando clearly needs help, as nothing has gone right for them since Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner returned from their oblique injuries this season. The Magic are now 24-25 and sinking in the Eastern Conference standings due to their lack of backcourt production. Pairing Jalen Suggs with Fox and having another elite-level scorer as their primary ball handler obviously makes a ton of sense for the Magic.

Sources said other teams to inquire about Fox’s availability in Sacramento include the Minnesota Timberwolves and Toronto Raptors. A path to possibly landing Fox would be extremely difficult for the Timberwolves and is unlikely since they’d have to move Julius Randle and Jaden McDaniels to get out of the second apron. McDaniels does have a lot of fans in the Kings’ front office, sources said.

One should never count out the Raptors from pulling off a big, unexpected move for a star. Executive Masai Ujiri is always very precise when it comes to setting his organization up to make big moves, and it’s become clear that the Raptors want to find another young star to pair with Scottie Barnes.

Could Fox be that guy and end up in Toronto, similar to how Kawhi Leonard did in 2018? Don’t count out the Raptors from making a significant addition in the near future.

A lot of questions continue to surround the Kings and what they will ultimately do at the trade deadline. This is especially true given that they had a trade lined up before pulling out of it last minute.

John Collins is a player the Kings have held interest in since the offseason. The Utah Jazz have made Collins available in trade talks this season, and Sacramento entered deep negotiations to possibly acquire the former first-round pick in recent weeks, sources said. Collins emerged as the Kings’ top trade target leading up to the trade deadline.

Kevin Huerter, Trey Lyles, a protected first-round pick, and a future second-round pick made up the framework of these discussions, sources said.

All that was needed was a formal agreement from both sides, but ultimately, conversations were put on hold in the final steps of negotiations. It is unknown at this time if the two teams will revisit talks on Collins ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline.

The Kings’ inability to improve their roster around Fox and continuing to fall short in trade discussions are factors in the star’s decision to possibly leave. Still, it’s important to note that Fox has not asked for a trade. This relationship is still salvageable in Sacramento, but it’s certainly heading in the wrong direction.

Will Warriors make a Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine trade?

The one team everyone is watching ahead of the NBA trade deadline is the Golden State Warriors. Stephen Curry is not getting any younger, and the Warriors’ championship window is rapidly closing. This organization’s only priority is winning, yet inconsistencies and injuries have severely lessened their chances of finding success.

No matter how you view the Warriors, the reality is that they’ve been a play-in-like team over the last few seasons. Even when they went on their improbable run to the NBA Finals and won a championship in 2022, Golden State finished just a game up in the standings over those who had to earn playoff spots via the play-in tournament.

Owner Joe Lacob, general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr., and the Warriors’ front office understand the challenges in front of them ahead of the trade deadline, which is why the decisions they face are so difficult. Does moving Andrew Wiggins, a player beloved by the locker room and staff, set the organization up for more future success?

Is there a move out there that truly puts Golden State in a better position to contend right now? These are the biggest questions in San Francisco.

Internally, sources said some have wanted the team to pursue Butler since November, when the Warriors first made initial calls to the Heat. At the time, Miami was not interested in hearing any package unless they were to include Wiggins and Jonathan Kuminga. Overall, the vast majority of the organization was not sold on Butler at the time, and little has changed on this front.

Although Butler still has fans within the walls of Golden State’s compound, the majority of leadership has opposed such a move because making such a trade would have a negative impact on the immediate future outside of potentially freeing up cap space. There are also concerns about Butler’s attitude following his nasty divorce from the Heat and whether something similar would happen if the star wasn’t given what he wants.

Another key talking point regarding Butler’s fit with the Warriors revolves around how well he and Draymond Green, who is known for his fiery passion and outspoken words, would gel. If the Dubs are to make any move, they are going to do so knowing that Steve Kerr, Curry, and Green are all in agreement on such a trade. Regarding Butler, Kerr and Curry have concerns about how the six-time All-Star would fit, according to Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor.

A lot has been said about the Warriors being able to get Butler at a “cheaper price than before,” but the reality of this situation is that the price for the Dubs hasn’t changed. This is simply a ploy for the Heat to try and get more leverage in the situation, as no matter what, Golden State was always facing a situation where Wiggins would have to be traded for Butler.

When asking around the league, there is common thinking that the idea of Butler going to the Warriors is just a “bunch of smoke,” as one Western Conference executive told ClutchPoints.

Should Butler opt out, there is a path to freeing up more immediate cap space, but is this a chance the Warriors would really want to take with a player bringing a lot of drama and negative media attention with him?

Trading Wiggins, Dennis Schroder, and another key secondary player at the very least for Butler certainly has some pros, but the cons seem to outweigh them in this scenario. That is why this continues to look like an unlikely scenario for the Warriors, especially considering that they have changed their thinking on Zach LaVine since earlier in the year.

In the offseason, the Warriors declined to seek a trade for LaVine using Chris Paul’s expiring contract. There was talk of the Chicago Bulls wanting Wiggins in said deal, and this was something Golden State wasn’t willing to do at the time. Several months later, the Warriors no longer have Paul’s contract to utilize as a massive trade exception, and they are torn between having to decide on Wiggins’ immediate future.

This front office worked extremely hard to free up cap space and flexibility for the future by letting Paul and Klay Thompson leave in the summer. If Wiggins were to be traded now, it would be an admission of failure by not utilizing Paul’s expiring contract in a deal to get LaVine, Brandon Ingram, Bruce Brown, or some other player who could’ve significantly helped the Warriors after striking out on trades for Paul George and Lauri Markkanen.

The Bulls and Warriors have held significant trade conversations through the weeks, sources said, with the focus on LaVine and Nikola Vucevic. Although Vucevic was the early favorite to be traded to Golden State, the focus has shifted to LaVine, who would instantly become the team’s No. 2 scoring option next to Curry.

Kuminga being traded doesn’t seem likely for the Warriors, and trading Wiggins still draws a lot of mixed reviews. As a result, Golden State has been going through all of its options ahead of the trade deadline, including the possibility of pursuing LaVine without giving up either forward, sources said.

This is where things get very intriguing for the Warriors, as their mix of expiring and near mid-level contracts can be combined to make up LaVine’s $43 million cap hit.

Since the Warriors are hard-capped at the first apron, any deals they could potentially make are even more complicated. However, there is a path to landing LaVine without giving up Wiggins or Kuminga. The path involves leveraging Schroder, Buddy Hield, Kyle Anderson, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, and possibly even Moses Moody.

How could the Warriors do this and fill out the remainder of their roster without surpassing the first apron? Well, it would take a few other teams to make this trade possible, but the Dubs could bring back LaVine and a few players on minimum contracts while also leaving themselves about a $1 million buffer to elevate Quinten Post from his two-way contract to an actual roster spot.

In a hypothetical situation, the Warriors could bring back LaVine and Talen Horton-Tucker from Chicago while finding common ground on a deal to unload salaries to the Charlotte Hornets for Nick Smith Jr., Seth Curry, and Taj Gibson to round out the back end of their roster with minimum contracts.

Again, this is just a hypothetical layout of what an all-in deal for LaVine could look like without giving up Wiggins or Kuminga.

The Warriors are still exploring all possibilities to become a better team without necessarily having to trade Wiggins, whom the organization still views as one of the better two-way wings in the league on a reasonable contract. Trading Wiggins could have devastating effects on the Dubs and wind up setting the organization back years if not done correctly.

Nonetheless, talks of LaVine heading to Golden State are very real and gaining momentum.

As things pertain to the Warriors’ second unit, there are still some who don’t necessarily want to see Payton and Looney leave given their value and championship-proven talents. However, the organization does understand that moves need to be made to better their outlook. Whatever happens with Payton and Looney, these are two players that Golden State will have an interest in bringing back in free agency.

Looney is a highly respected veteran whose leadership and value make him an essential part of the franchise. His presence means a lot to the players, coaching staff, and members of the front office, especially since Looney has taken on a leadership role that was previously held by veterans who taught him, like Andrew Bogut and Festus Ezeli.

It would come as a slap to many in the face if Looney were to be traded unless an understanding existed and the veteran was at peace with being moved.

Outside of talks surrounding Butler and LaVine, the Warriors have also been keeping an eye on multi-team deals that could happen around the NBA. With all the noise surrounding the Bucks recently, Bobby Portis’ future has come into question. If Portis were to be moved, the Warriors would certainly consider getting involved to land him, as he’s a fan of Kerr’s and the front office, sources said.

What the Warriors decide to do regarding Butler, LaVine, and others ahead of the NBA trade deadline will drastically change their future.

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Hawks become late sellers

Many teams in the East are approaching the trade deadline as sellers. Now, the Atlanta Hawks are joining the mix by making Bogdan Bogdanovic and Clint Capela the center of their trade discussions, sources said.

Bogdanovic has emerged as a key shooting weapon numerous teams, specifically in the Western Conference, are targeting ahead of the deadline. Atlanta has received interest from over five different teams for Bogdanovic. One of the teams is the Phoenix Suns, an organization that is super aggressive ahead of the deadline to improve their roster and championship odds.

Outside of pursuing Butler, the Suns have been exploring avenues to move Jusuf Nurkic, sources said. This has led them to Bogdanovic, a career 38 percent three-point shooter who can be another player moving off the ball around Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.

The San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat are two other teams that recently expressed interest in Bogdanovic, sources said. The Heat’s interest was first reported by Michael Scotto of HoopsHype. Recent discussions around the league have also brought the Los Angeles Lakers into question for Bogdanovic. Many multi-team trade scenarios are running through Atlanta at this time.

Bogdanovic being moved ahead of the trade deadline appears to be a very likely scenario at this time, especially after he was a healthy scratch in recent games. Now, the veteran guard is being listed as not being with the team.

Other notes and intel before NBA trade deadline

Brooklyn Nets: There has been some talk amongst teams that Ben Simmons will approach the Brooklyn Nets for a buyout to join a playoff-contending team. League sources told ClutchPoints around the holiday season that the Nets were not interested in a buyout with Simmons. It seems like this situation will come down to whether Simmons approaches the team about one, something that has yet to be discussed between the two parties.

Indiana Pacers: Various teams have checked in on Myles Turner’s availability, sources said. The Indiana Pacers have been willing to field offers and listen to interest, although trade talks centered on Turner have not progressed. Recently, ClutchPoints Lakers insider Anthony Irwin and I reported on Los Angeles’ pursuit of Turner. The Lakers have been the team to contact the Pacers the most about Turner, sources said, as talks surrounding the Bulls and Nikola Vucevic have cooled due to the asking price.

Around the league, teams know that the Pacers have major roster decisions to make. There have been serious talks of Obi Toppin or Aaron Nesmith being moved in the near future to create cap flexibility. As always, some have wondered about TJ McConnell’s availability, but Indiana has always shot down rumors surrounding the backup guard.

Heading into the offseason, the Pacers will need flexibility when Turner becomes a free agent and when Bennedict Mathurin becomes extension-eligible. A decision to move Mathurin would be surprising given his growth, but rival teams know Indiana can’t afford everyone. Mathurin would bring back significant assets in a trade right now. While they can make moves ahead of the trade deadline, many tend to believe that the Pacers will sort everything out around the draft in the offseason.

Toronto Raptors: Trade talks surrounding Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans have reached the Toronto Raptors. Ingram, who has fans in the Raptors’ front office, is specifically a player that Masai Ujiri likes. Jake Fischer was the first to report Toronto’s interest in Ingram. The idea of Toronto possibly being a dark-horse team for Ingram was something we speculated about in December. There are also conversations about the Raptors wanting to sell and tank at the trade deadline, so they are a big mystery right now.

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