We are less than two months away from the 2025 NBA trade deadline, which means rumors are starting to sprout up all over the place. This season has been a real doozy, defined by an unnatural disparity between the two conferences and a mounting sense of chaos.
There are a couple obvious top dogs, such as Boston and Cleveland in the East or OKC in the West, but the rest of the field is wide open. Most of the East is floating at or below .500 — and still a productive trade or two away from home-court advantage in the playoffs. The West, meanwhile, is loaded with genuinely quality teams who are beating up on one another. One or two upgrades could make all the difference there, too.
To add to the suspense of it all, we could see a star or two moved before the final whistle sounds on Feb. 6. Here is all the latest scuttlebutt to get you through the NBA weekend.
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The Chicago Bulls rather embarrassingly did not receive a first-round pick when trading Alex Caruso for Josh Giddey this summer. As a result, Chicago is prioritizing draft capital as it approaches full rebuild territory.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Bulls are “seeking a first-round pick” to part with veteran center Nikola Vucevic, who is under contract through next season at roughly $21 million. We can also expect Chicago to listen to trade offers for Zach LaVine, Lonzo Ball, and other vets, although the appetite around the league is limited at best.
Vucevic has been a minor revelation, though, turning back the clock and putting together a legitimate All-Star candidacy for the ninth-place Bulls. Chicago, obviously, would prefer to be a heck of a lot worse than ninth-place with Cooper Flagg, Dylan Harper, and others floating at the top of draft boards.
The 34-year-old Vucevic won’t represent a long-term investment for prospective suitors, but only so many 7-footers can average 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists while shooting 47.4 percent on healthy 3-point volume. Vucevic spaces the floor, sets thundering screens, and passes well for his position. The defense is exploitable in certain matchups, but this season has been a resounding reminder of his offensive utility.
The Golden State Warriors made the first major splash of trade season, acquiring Dennis Schroder from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for De’Anthony Melton and a few second-round picks. FanSided’s Quinn Everts wrote glowingly about the trade from Golden State’s perspective.
“It feels like a lifetime ago when the Warriors offense was roaring; recently, it’s been the opposite. Golden State is near the bottom of the NBA in most offensive categories over the past 10 games, and a huge reason for that is a lack of ball-handlers and creators in the second unit. There’s talent in the second unit, but not a lot of cohesiveness. Not a lot of ball movement when Steph Curry goes to the bench. That will change with Schroder, who is averaging 6.6 assists per game on a Nets team that he’s been pretty brilliant on overall.”
Schroder brings valuable playmaking dynamism to a Warriors offense in need. He fits comfortably as the backup point guard, but evidently, Steve Kerr has even grander ambitions for the 31-year-old. The Dubs “envision starting lineups” with Schroder and Stephen Curry together, per ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The Warriors envision starting lineups with Dennis Schroder and Stephen Curry in the backcourt, with Schroder able to alleviate ball-handling responsibilities at point guard. Golden State made him a priority to complete this deal. https://t.co/SohAEq3IiA
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 15, 2024
With Brandin Podziemski and Buddy Hield both struggling of late, this makes a lot of sense. Schroder is not what we typically imagine from Steph’s backcourt partner — we’re used to movement shooting extraordinaire Klay Thompson — but the German point guard’s rim pressure and playmaking chops should add a useful dynamic to an offense on the rocks.
Schroder has been excellent for the rebuilding Nets, averaging 18.4 points and 6.6 assists on .452/.387/.889 splits. His numbers will decline naturally with a more talented Warriors team, but he should have the ball in his hands a lot, where he’ll benefit from Golden State’s monster shooting apparatus.
Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler has been in the news lately as trade rumors bubble to the surface. His agent pushed back against recent reporting from ESPN’s Shams Charania, but there’s too much smoke to ignore the simmering fire underneath. The Heat are open to trading Butler and the All-Star swingman is letting his preferred landing spots be known.
Butler speculation hit a fever pitch on Saturday, however, with the latest report from Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
“There is a rising belief leaguewide that the Heat are indeed willing to trade Butler before the Feb. 6 trade deadline despite the great success they’ve enjoyed together over the past five seasons. More teams consulted than not believe that Butler is also seriously eyeing new locales for the first time. It’s a notion reinforced by the widespread belief that Butler is determined to bypass next season’s $52.4 million player option — no matter where he is on Feb. 7 — to become a free agent on June 30.”
So, Miami is willing to bite the bullet, especially if the trade returns winning pieces. According to David Aldridge of The Athletic, 80-year-old Pat Riley wants to contend, and will therefore seek a return that “brings back players that give Miami more of a shot [to contend].” The Heat aren’t looking for draft picks and long-term projects. The Heat want depth and, potentially, a new star to build around.
How realistic such a return is… well, that’s less clear. Butler is still very good, but he’s a 35-year-old wing who shoots a low volume of 3s, so there is natural skepticism about how his game will age. He is also due for free agency at season’s end, unless he receives and agrees to an extension with his new team. That carries risk for both sides.
Miami’s desire to keep winning at all costs could bump up against the general hopelessness of the Butler era, which seems to be sliding further into the murky void of no-man’s land. The Heat felt like real contenders for a minute there, but Butler was never able to get them over the top. Now the East has passed Miami by.
There’s a brief window to trade Butler here, while he’s still valued as a bonafide star (and he’s still under contract). The Heat appear unwilling to hand Butler the two-year, $113 million extension he asked for in the offseason, per Aldridge, and it’s hard to imagine Miami letting this fall apart without receiving something in return.
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