Jimmy Butler officially requested a trade away from the Miami Heat, openly discussing his loss of joy with the franchise and being open to being moved to any team in the NBA without any sort of a list. He just wants out of Miami. This means that all 29 teams can be realistic suitors for Butler if they want him, as the forward is willing to play for anyone and make them a contender.
The Memphis Grizzlies are already looking like contenders with the No. 2 seed in the West. It seems every team is a step behind the OKC Thunder, so the Grizzlies need to load up on elite talent, especially with star point guard Ja Morant sidelined with an injury. This is the perfect opportunity to land the perfect star for the Grizzlies, as they can make a move for Butler in a high-risk high-reward proposition.
Trade Details
Memphis Grizzlies Receive: Jimmy Butler
Miami Heat Receive: Marcus Smart, Brandon Clarke, John Kochar, Luke Kennard, 2027 Second-Round Pick (ATL)
This deal gets the Grizzlies an elite Playoff performer to solidify their status as contenders in the West while the stubborn Heat gets solid rotational depth pieces that are complementary to their style of basketball. It allows the Heat to get more competitive and deeper around Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo, avoiding the need for a potential rebuild.
The Grizzlies Get Top-End Talent For The Playoffs
This is a one-year risky deal for the Grizzlies, who will lose four rotational pieces to match Butler’s $48.7 million contract to make this deal possible. But the quality of the players in the deal will limit any future draft cost to the Grizzlies and at the max open up heaps of space for the team to continue adjusting the core around their big three of Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Desmond Bane.
Jimmy Butler is the perfect veteran leader for the grit-and-grind Grizzlies, as they’ll appreciate Butler’s hard-nosed nature and well-rounded skill set. He can be a half-court creator that Morant can play off, allowing him to better manage his on-ball workload. He’s a seasoned defender who’ll maintain their team’s aggressive shape while also being a bonafide clutch shot-maker.
He’s averaging 17.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists this season. The numbers are impacted by his unhappiness with the Heat this season, as his relationship with Pat Riley has collapsed. Butler’s skillset is varied enough for Memphis to get a lot of value from him even if he isn’t scoring at the highest level.
This deal does attack the Grizzlies’ depth but they have plenty of replacements in their places and a roster that would be more suited for the Playoffs. The excessive depth is great for the regular season but a player like Butler would make the team more competitive in the Playoffs when rotations are smaller and you need specialists.
Heat Stay Competitive And Gain Flexibility
The one cold reality that Butler’s recent actions have woken the Heat up to is that they won’t get great value in a trade now that he’s openly agitating for a move. With his poor performances on the court, it’s unlikely the competitive Heat allow Jimmy to sidetrack their hopes of success. Instead of abandoning their 17-15 record and Playoff push, they can land four rotational players to greatly boost their depth.
Marcus Smart is averaging 9.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.8 assists, and would be the perfect backcourt complement to Tyler Herro to stay competitive. Smart’s defensive prowess will cover up for Herro’s shortcomings while they make a strong yin-and-yang backcourt duo with opposing skill sets that can go together.Â
Luke Kennard is averaging 8.3 points as a 44.8 3P% shooter but his $9.2 expiring contract will give Miami additional flexibility in the summer. Clarke is averaging 7.3 points and 5.1 rebounds and would be a great backup option behind Bam Adebayo. Konchar is a gritty hustle player who fits ‘Heat Culture’, averaging 3.1 points and 3.9 rebounds this season.
With money coming off the books and four rotational players joining to boost their lineup, the Heat might not be able to get a better deal than this.
Both Teams Make A Move They Think Will Improve Them
The needs for the Grizzlies and the Heat aren’t similar right now. Miami needs to get rid of a malignant locker room presence in Butler who has fully fallen out with the franchise and will serve as a distraction the longer he stays on the team. The Grizzlies are competitive but need a final move to put them over the edge as we’ve seen them overperform in the regular season before falling flat in the postseason.
Butler gives the Grizzlies the Playoff x-factor they need, while the Heat gets a collection of players who fit their style of play and can greatly boost their chances of remaining a top-six team in the Conference despite losing a player of Butler’s caliber. Both teams are right to believe that this theoretically works out for them, so it’ll be interesting to see if either will actually consider it in real life.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.
