There was a significant trade made in the National Basketball Association on Wednesday as there was a four-way deal between the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors, Utah Jazz and Detroit Pistons. In this blockbuster (the third of the week following the Luca Doncic/Anthony Davis deal and the De’Aaron Fox trade), the principal players involved were forward Jimmy Butler of Houston, Texas (Miami to Golden State), Canadian small forward Andrew Wiggins of Toronto, Ontario (Golden State to Miami), and guard Dennis Schroder of Braunschweig, Germany (Golden State to Utah).
There were four more players involved in the deal. They were Kyle Anderson (Golden State to Miami), power forward P.J. Tucker (Utah to Miami), shooting guard Lindy Waters III (Golden State to Detroit), and shooting guard Josh Richardson (Miami to Detroit).
Butler is joining his fifth NBA franchise. He was previously with the Chicago Bulls (2011-2017), two seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2017-2018), one season with the Philadelphia 76ers (2018-2019), and six seasons with the Miami Heat (2019-2025), A six-time NBA All-Star (2015-2017 with Chicago, 2018 with Minnesota, 2020 and 2022 with Miami), Butler was the most improved player in the NBA in 2014-15 while with the Bulls, and led the NBA in steals per game (2.1) with the Heat in 2020-21. This season, he is averaging 17 points per game, 5.2 rebounds per game, 4.8 assists per game, and 1.1 steals per game. Butler also had a field goal percentage of .540, three point percentage of .361 and a free throw percentage of .801.
Wiggins is joining his third NBA team following six seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolves (2014-2020), and six seasons with the Warriors (2020-2025). This past season in Golden State, Wiggins averaged 17.6 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game, and 2.3 assists per game. He had a field goal percentage of .444, three point percentage of .379, and a free throw percentage of .777.
Schroder is joining his ninth NBA team following five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks (2013-2018), two seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder (2018-2020), two season with the Los Angeles Lakers (2020-21 and 2022-23), one season with the Boston Celtics (2021-22), one season with the Houston Rockets (2021-22), one season with the Toronto Raptors (2023-24), two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets (2023-25), and one season with the Golden State Warriors (2024-25). In 47 games this season with the Nets and Warriors, Schroder averaged 14.4 points per game, 5.5 assists per game, 2.6 rebounds per game, and 1.1 steals per game. He has a field goal percentage of .418, three point percentage of .358, and free throw percentage of .842.
