After months of drama and speculation, it finally happened — the Miami Heat traded Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors in exchange for Andrew Wiggins and Kyle Anderson. PJ Tucker will also head to the Heat by way of the Utah Jazz. Meanwhile, the Jazz will acquire Dennis Schroder. The Detroit Pistons also figure into the deal, as they’ll take on Josh Richardson and Lindy Waters III.
This is definitely the type of move that could catapult the Heat up the Eastern Conference standings, as Wiggins is a stud two-way player whose commitment to Miami’s program won’t be questioned. For the Warriors, it’s a bit more of a gamble on and off the court. However, Butler is a proven playoff performer who likely increases their ability to have a lengthy postseason run.
Moving forward, it’ll be fun monitoring to see who wins the trade between Golden State and Miami, if anyone. For now, it’s a merciful ending to a story that wasn’t making anyone involved look good.
Obsessive Jazz Didn’t Need To Play Part In Heat-Warriors Trade
The only team that made a completely confusing decision on Wednesday night was the Jazz, who already had a backcourt logjam before adding Schroder. According to The Salt Lake Tribune reporter Andy Larsen, Utah will receive a second-round pick swap in 2031 (via MIA or IND) for swapping Tucker out for Schroder. Nevertheless, Jazz CEO Danny Ainge’s obsession with adding draft picks doesn’t always make for a good trade.
Jazz will receive the more favorable 2031 second-rounder from the Miami Heat or Indiana Pacers in the Dennis Schroder/PJ Tucker swap, according to a league source.
— Andy Larsen (@andyblarsen) February 6, 2025
As there are more than 12 hours remaining until the NBA trade deadline, it’s possible that Utah is looking to re-route Schroder, amassing more draft assets. Perhaps they’ve even found a trade partner for Collin Sexton or Jordan Clarkson. If not, it would be an even worse decision than waiving Mo Bamba after trading Drew Eubanks. In that situation, the Jazz left themselves without enough depth at center. In this one, Utah has given themselves too many mouths to feed in the backcourt.
He’s No Patty Mills
Schroder is no Patty Mills, who signed with the Jazz last offseason. Mills initially was in the Jazz’s backcourt rotation but started receiving DNP-CDs when they started to give Isaiah Collier regular playing time. Mills was likely able to accept an end-of-bench role because of his intangibles and friendship with Jazz head coach Will Hardy. Yet, he hadn’t played regular rotation minutes since 2021-22 anyways.
Unlike Mills, Schroder’s career really isn’t on its last legs. The captain of Germany’s men’s national basketball team, he actually began the season playing like FIBA Schroder. In 23 games with the Brooklyn Nets, he was averaging 18.4 points and 6.6 assists per game. Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez regarded Schroder as their leader on and off the court.
Where does he fit into a rotation that includes Sexton, Clarkson, Collier, and Keyonte George? It’s worth noting that the Jazz have utilized three-guard lineups before but it often put players in uncomfortable positions. Instead of being live ball-handlers, they were asked to spot-up and screen. Frankly, that’s not when Sexton, Clarkson, Collier, George, or Schroder are at their best.
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