Grade the Trade: Warriors deal Kuminga for Miami star in sizzling high-risk pitch

Would the Miami Heat make this trade?

The first step to working out a trade with the Miami Heat is convincing them to trade Jimmy Butler in the first place. Moving off of a franchise star, especially one who has carried this team to not one but two NBA Finals, is a tough pill to swallow, even for someone as calculated as Pat Riley.

What the Heat have to come to grips with is that they are not winning a title or even making the Eastern Conference Finals with their current roster. The core pieces are aging and injury-prone, and the Eastern Conference is getting younger and/or better this summer. The Heat need a different plan than "get into the playoffs and Playoff Jimmy will take over." They may be coming to grips with that already.

This deal brings back Jonathan Kuminga as the centerpiece of the trade, a rising star who is 13 years younger than Butler. He will be due for a raise after next season, but even if he is making $30 million per season it will pale in comparison to the $52 million Butler is in line to make in 2025-26 on his player option.

Andrew Wiggins is a viable starter or bench option for the Heat and an excellent "buy-low" opportunity. If he has a bounce-back season for Miami they can move him in a deal at the trade deadline or next summer, potentially for a younger star to pair with Adebayo and Kuminga. The two first-round picks will certainly help with that. Gary Payton II completes the salary in the deal and gives Miami the point-of-attack defender they don't have in their current rotation.

It's not an easy decision for Miami, but the pathway to making this deal is there. What about Golden State - would they pull the trigger?