The Cavaliers, Celtics and Thunder almost surely won’t be active at next week’s trade deadline.

They can still be the three biggest reasons phones are buzzing with NBA trade chatter.

It wasn’t long ago NBA finalists were a foregone conclusion: the Cavs or Celtics in the East, the Thunder in the West.

But things have changed.

The Cavaliers got thumped big-time by the Pacers, who are an NBA-best 10-2 in January, and the Thunder. And perhaps more telling, they lost twice to the Rockets.

They are starting to resemble the Baltimore Ravens. 

The Celtics also got rocked by the Thunder and likewise got blindsided by the Rockets. Narrow wins over the Pelicans and Clippers have been equally revealing.

They’ve become the Kansas City Chiefs… which obviously isn’t necessarily season-dooming.

And the Thunder lost twice to the Luka-less Mavericks, breathing life into the defending Western champs even while the Rockets are playing the best basketball of the three.

You have to wonder: Are they the NBA’s version of the not-ready-for-prime-time Detroit Lions?

In light of recent developments, I count at least half the league now asking itself: Would Jimmy Butler take us over the top? And if so, how could we get him?

First off, most of these teams are kidding themselves… or at least their unrealistic fans.

The Knicks, Bucks, Rockets and Mavericks don’t think they need any help.

The 76ers, Nuggets, Lakers and Suns should know by now: Three’s a crowd in superstar circles. They need depth, not star power.

The Magic, Grizzlies and Kings need to figure out what they have before deciding upon what they need; the Hawks and Warriors don’t belong in this conversation; and let’s be honest: Butler’s not going back to Minnesota.

That leaves three intriguing possibilities: the Pacers, Clippers and—dare we say it?—the Thunder.

The Heat are said to want expiring contracts and draft picks. That likely would mean getting a third and perhaps fourth team involved.

Let’s examine why these three contenders might be willing to try to make it happen.

PACERS

Indiana was probably two players away from getting anyone’s attention last season when it took its first big step, acquiring Pascal Siakam. He, like team leader Tyrese Haliburton, are great complementary pieces. And that’s why Butler fits in so well.

Also, note the formula the Knicks have scripted in their effort to dethrone the Celtics. Priority 1: You have to match up Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Attaching them to Siakam and Butler would accomplish that.

How are the Pacers matching Butler’s $49 million contract and satisfying the Heat’s conditions at the same time? Myles Turner’s $20 million in the final season of his deal gets you halfway there, and no doubt the Heat would be interested in a good, young player like Aaron Nesmith ($11 million). Having no available first-round picks until 2029 could be a problem. Hello, Danny?

CLIPPERS

Can you imagine Butler and Kawhi Leonard on the same team? Two winners, great two-way players and – teams in the West are less worried about this – an advantage over Tatum-Brown.

Tyronn Lue knows how to handle multi-superstar rosters, which helps. And the Clippers have just enough complementary talent—including the vastly underrated Norman Powell—to make this work.

But can they make it happen? Packaging James Harden ($34 million) and P.J. Tucker ($12 million) is a perfect fit… if the Heat are willing to accept the fact that Harden has the option to play next season at $36 million. Like the Pacers, their first-round picks are tied up for a while, so it might mean selling off the ever-popular Derrick Jones Jr. for a couple from OKC’s stash could be required.

THUNDER

If you believe in the natural progression of sports champions, the up-and-coming Thunder will improve on last year’s trip to the Western semifinals by making the West finals this year. But you gotta believe they want WAY more than that, especially with the door wide open (are the Rockets really their chief threat?).

OKC doesn’t NEED to make a move as much as it has to be asking itself: Why not? What good are half the league’s first-round picks over the next six seasons if they can’t be conglomerated into a star-importing package?

The Thunder don’t have the type of expiring contract the Heat seek. But how many first-round picks would it take to pry, say, Ben Simmons ($40 million), from the Nets? Then the question becomes: Pat, how many first-rounders do you want? Five? Six? Eleven?

The Pacers have the greatest need. The Clippers have a dream. And the Thunder have the most attractive assets.

The next NBA champion could very well come from the destination on Butler’s one-way ticket out of Miami.