ESPN proposes stunning DeRozan-Butler trade between Kings, Heat

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ESPN proposes stunning DeRozan-Butler trade between Kings, Heat originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

Should the Kings kick the tires on the availability of disgruntled Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler?

Despite Sacramento having won seven of its last eight games, ESPN believes so.

Published Wednesday, ESPN insiders collaborated on a story outlining five potential blockbuster NBA trades before the Feb. 6 deadline, and Sacramento prominently was featured in what would be a stunning exchange. Here’s the proposal from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton:

Sacramento Kings get: forward Jimmy Butler, guard Alec Burks

Miami Heat get: forward DeMar DeRozan, guard Tim Hardaway Jr., 2028 first-round pick (top-four protected, via SAC)

Detroit Pistons get: guard Kevin Huerter, forward Trey Lyles, 2029 first-round pick swap option (via SAC)

“Should Sacramento consider trading for the disgruntled Butler after getting back to .500 under interim coach Doug Christie? I think it’s worth considering to raise the Kings’ playoff upside.”

There’s a lot to digest. But at the heart of the proposed trade is a DeRozan for Butler swap.

Butler, 35 and a 14-year veteran, is having a rough go. Over 22 games during the 2024-25 NBA season, he has averaged a relatively low 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists and isn’t the same player Miami fans loved since he joined the franchise in 2019. And, of course, Butler is linked to noise because of the recent trade requests and frustrated comments about Miami as an organization.

So why would Sacramento want to ship out DeRozan for that guy, especially when the Kings, including the wing they were thrilled to acquire this offseason, recently have hit some strides?

Only ESPN’s Pelton can explain.

“Since 2013, Butler has been one of the top 10 NBA players in terms of outperforming regular-season performance in the playoffs. Over that same span, nobody has underperformed more in the playoffs than DeRozan, who has produced 5.0 fewer wins — based on my wins above replacement player (WARP) rating — than we’d expect based on those regular seasons.”

DeRozan has averaged 21.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.9…

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/espn-proposes-stunning-derozan-butler-132811466.html

Author : NBC Sports BayArea

Publish date : 2025-01-15 13:28:00

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