The Miami Heat may look to trade Jimmy Butler this summer or seek a deal to add a star next to him, but a more immediate swap could come ahead of, or during, this week’s NBA draft.
Zach Bachar of Bleacher Report on Tuesday, June 25, suggested that Miami is a prime candidate to move up in the draft from No. 15, perhaps all the way into the top 10 via a deal with the Memphis Grizzlies (No. 9), for a specific player who has caught their collective eye.
“While team president Pat Riley will need to manage Butler’s desire for an extension, he also has decisions to make with the No. 15 and No. 43 picks in the draft,” Bachar wrote. “One potential first-round target could be Colorado forward Tristan Da Silva, as ESPN’s Jeremy Woo reported that the Heat were among the teams interested in him. He may be just above Miami’s current draft range.”
Tristan Da Silva Safe Pick Who Can Offer Heat Size, Shooting
GettyTristan da Silva of the Colorado Buffaloes.
Da Silva stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 220 pounds. The 23-year-old played a full four years in college, all in Boulder with the Buffaloes, and was a three-year starter.
The combo forward averaged 16 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.1 steals per game for Colorado during his senior campaign, per Sports Reference. Da Silva is also a career 38.6% 3-point shooter and connected on 39.4% and 39.5% of his attempts in the past two seasons, respectively.
In his most recent mock draft, which published on June 19, Jonathan Wasserman of Bleacher Report made a player comp to Trey Lyles of the Sacramento Kings before projecting Da Silva to come off the board 14th to the Portland Trailblazers.
“Teams all seem to like his positional size, shooting versatility and all-around polish, on and off the floor,” Wasserman wrote. “His athletic limitations could restrict him at both ends of the floor, getting to and finishing at the rim or stopping quicker wings and stronger 4s. Teams valuing safety and shooting over upside could be drawn to da Silva in the late lottery or teens.”
Jimmy Butler’s Extension Demands Could Lead to Trade Out of Miami
GettyJimmy Butler of the Miami Heat.
Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reported in May that Butler is seeking a two-year extension worth $113 million. Butler is currently playing on a three-year, $146.4 million contract that includes $48.8 million this upcoming season followed by a player option for $52.4 million in 2025-26.
The issues the Heat face with Butler are his age (he will turn 35 years old in September) and his injury history. He has played five seasons in Miami, but surpassed 60 games played only once.
Butler has unquestionably been a playoff killer, leading the Heat to three Eastern Conference Finals appearances and two NBA Finals berths in his half decade with the team. That said, there is legitimate reason to project that Butler’s hard-nosed style of play and all the mileage on him from his years playing for coach Tom Thibodeau (four campaigns with the Chicago Bulls and a little over one season with the Minnesota Timberwolves) will soon catch up to him in debilitating fashion.
Meanwhile, teams such as the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors who are varying degrees of desperate to add another star this offseason are still likely to value Butler highly in a trade. Miami could clear cap space and add assets in the form of young players and/or draft picks in a Butler deal, which the organization could then use to construct a younger roster and open up the possibility of landing a star in free agency next summer.
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