Reports: Heat acquire 76ers' Butler in three-team deal
The Miami Heat are finalizing a sign-and-trade deal to acquire All-Star guard Jimmy Butler from the Philadelphia 76ers, in a deal that also involves the Dallas Mavericks, multiple outlets reported Sunday night.
Butler will reportedly sign a max-level, four-year, $142 million contract with the Heat, who had been reported Saturday as Butler's likeliest destination. The full terms of the deal are unclear, but the 76ers will receive wing Josh Richardson from Miami, which will also send point guard Goran Dragic to the Mavericks.
Butler was also expected to meet with the Houston Rockets, who have reportedly been shopping Clint Capela, Eric Gordon and PJ Tucker in trades with hopes of clearing room to acquire Butler in a sign-and-trade.
The 29-year-old Butler averaged 18.2 points on 46.1 shooting in 55 games with the Sixers last season after arriving in November via trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. A four-time All-Star, he has career averages of 16.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in eight NBA seasons.
Butler joins JJ Redick in leaving the 76ers, who reportedly re-signed forward Tobias Harris on a five-year deal and nabbed former Boston Celtics big man Al Horford on a four-year contract.
Richardson will join Philadelphia coming off a career season, having averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds -- all career highs -- in 73 games last season. The 25-year-old has career averages of 12.1 points, 2.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 259 career games (190 starts) since the Heat drafted him in the second round in 2015.
Dragic, 33, will pair with Slovenian national teammate and former roommate Luka Doncic, bringing together the league's only two Slovenian players. He averaged 13.7 points and 4.8 assists in 36 games (22 starts) while missing time to injury last season, his fourth full year in Miami.
Dragic reached his first All-Star Game a year earlier, averaging 17.3 points and 3.8 assists for the Heat in the 2017-18 season.
--Field Level Media
