Ira Winderman: A waiting game or a call to action both are still possible in Heat v. Butler

ATLANTA — First some bookkeeping, then a tasty morsel ... even as Pat Riley would prefer days ahead being a bit less spicy than these past few.

When it comes to the he said/he said in the Jimmy Butler debate, one significant element somehow has gotten lost in the timing element going forward for the Miami Heat: It does not matter if Jimmy Butler is still on the Heat books with his $52.4 million player option for 2025-26.

The Heat’s payroll is not set up for the 2025 offseason, not since Terry Rozier was added last January, and, even before that, not since Duncan Robinson signed his five-year, $90 million contract in 2021.

Rozier still will be on the books next season for $26.6 million (with only a sliver potentially non-guaranteed). Robinson will be on the books $19.9 million for 2025-26 (although with a bit of wiggle room with that figure).

So even if a round of Liar’s Poker is at play at the moment with Butler’s 2025-26 option, it hardly would capsize any Heat 2025 offseason plans ... because the plan, at least at the moment, is to stay afloat next season, then with a wide swath of salary-cap space for the 2026 offseason.

All of that said, and even after Riley’s, “We are not trading Jimmy Butler,” there still could be a means to a palatable end for all involved by the Feb. 6 NBA trading deadline (at which time, all Riley would need to say is, “This was too good of an offer to pass up and we thank Jimmy Butler for his efforts and one day plan to have No. 22 in our rafters”).

(Warning: Aggregators, the following is not a trade rumor, speculation or anything that any of the ensuing teams named have in any way been linked to. Rather, it is a framework for how win-win still remains possible in Butler v. Heat ahead of Feb. 6.)

So how could all parties be sated in what remains a highly complex proposition?

Here’s a thought of the type of move that could leave all in a better place (again, emphasis on “type of,” not a forecast or prediction).

— Suns get: Jimmy Butler from Heat, Malaki Branham from Spurs.

— Spurs get: Bradley Beal from Suns, a 2031 Suns unprotected first-round pick (and possibly a Suns second-round pick).

— Heat get: Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes from Spurs, two Suns second-round picks, at least one Spurs first-round pick (the Spurs have 12 first-round picks available for trade over the next seven years, so that is where the negotiations can get into the nuances).

So let’s deal with the simpler parts of the equation.

Whether you worship at the Alter of the Shams or not, few places would be better landing spots for Butler than Phoenix, because few owners are as willing to spend above and beyond as Mat Ishbia. So Butler would get his money and would gleefully grace the Valley of the Sun with Big Face coffee outlets.

From the Heat’s perspective, you would offload the headache of Butler potentially not opting out and him then turning next Heat season into Sour Face Jimmy Butler.

You also would gain draft capital to have available to put into a future deal for a replacement leading man.

Plus — and this is worthwhile also — if you were able to trade one of the two players acquired (Zach Collins also could work in this three-team framework from the Spurs to the Heat), you could — gulp! — actually get below the luxury tax this season, instantly freed from repeater-tax concerns and those onerous tax-apron rules.

The hard part, and therefore saved for last, would be the Spurs element.

Foremost, there is Beal’s no-trade clause. But after being involved with the chaos of the Wizards and Suns, it would not only represent the opportunity to move to a franchise with an identity of culture, but also get to play alongside Victor Wembanyama, which certainly would seem like a lot of fun for a scorer who just two seasons ago averaged 23.2 points.

As for the Spurs, this is the toughest sell, selling that onerous Beal contract that runs through a $57 million season in 2026-27.

But the Spurs are competitive now and even though they could go to the open market in 2026 for a player of their choice, how many free agents have made San Antonio their landing spot of choice?

Plus, that 2031 unprotected Suns first-round pick could be a first-round pick at the top of the lottery (as well as for years a coveted pick for a follow-up trade).

Yes, such a three-way trade would mean the Spurs potentially strengthening a conference rival. But it also could enhance the Spurs both now, for the benefit of Gregg Popovich, and in the future.

The point being that when you have a brilliant cap mind like Heat general manager Andy Elisburg, and when you have proven front-office evaluators who have worked the seemingly unworkable over the years (the Big Three, adding Butler without cap space), a bit of creativity can go a long way.

And can clarify and rectify a tenuous situation in short order.

So choose another framework if you dare tempt the Trade Machine (the Kings could be interesting in that regard), but if you can get back draft assets, a workable roster piece or two that largely leaves you no worse than the middle-of-the-pack current status, and cap/tax relief ... how could you not at least consider?

Yes, Pat Riley said, “We are not trading Jimmy Butler,”

What he left unsaid said was, “... unless the right deal comes along.”