The Jimmy Butler era in Miami is coming to an end. While team president Pat Riley tried his best to douse the flames of any upcoming trade, Butler doubled down, revealing that he’s lost his joy and would rather play anywhere but South Beach.
It’s over. And though the Heat can potentially wait it out until this summer, it has become increasingly likely a deal occurs before the February trade deadline, or even within the next couple of weeks.
Butler, according to ESPN, has opened up his list of destinations to 29 other teams, which gives us a lot of options.
With that said, here are my four favorite fits for the 35-year old star.
Memphis Grizzlies
While the Grizzlies weren’t among Butler’s initial preferred list of destinations, it would be an awesome fit on the court, even if just temporary. Memphis is back to its contending ways. And while the Grizzlies have sustained some injuries lately, mainly to star point guard Ja Morant, they’ve been chugging along and looking as formidable as ever. That’s due to their unique offensive style, the leap big man Jaren Jackson Jr. has taken, and their young players — primarily rookies Jaylen Wells and Zach Edey playing their roles to perfection.
Adding Butler would mean adding a proven playoff scorer to a team that has previously struggled offensively in the postseason. He would provide an extra bit of insurance should Morant (or anyone else) have to miss games and would firmly make them a worthy adversary for the likes of the Oklahoma City Thunder and the 2024 Western Conference Champion Dallas Mavericks.
It could be a rental. It could be the start of a new partnership. Either way, Butler and grit-and-grind is a match made in heaven.
Houston Rockets
What happens when you add one of the league’s fiercest competitors in Butler (this week’s showings notwithstanding) to one of its most hard-nosed teams?
Basketball excellence.
On the back of one of the NBA’s best defenses, the Rockets have turned themselves into a formidable force nightly in the Western Conference. Still, even despite being third in the West, they fall short of reaching that “contender” status because of their youth and stretches of woeful offense.
Butler is a hometown guy, growing up just outside of Houston, and can address those two areas for the Rockets. They’ve desperately needed a late game closer, and Butler is that. Whichever star they eventually acquire needs to fit their ultra aggressive defensive scheme. Butler does that, too.
The only problem is he’s 35 years old. Committing to him would mean accelerating their timeline. I’m not sure the Rockets are interested in doing that for a player of Butler’s age who’s looking for a big pay day this summer.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are the most popular destination for Butler and for good reason. Stephen Curry and Draymond Green are in the final stages of their primes, and Butler snuggly fits into their timeline. The Warriors rank 24th in offensive rating over their last 15 games. They’re 5-10 in that stretch and have looked outmatched, with little to no shot creation alongside Curry.
Jonathan Kuminga has come into his own as of late, and that would be the toughest pill to swallow for the Warriors’ front office: trading a young player who could turn into a star elsewhere.
For financial purposes, Golden State would also have to include Andrew Wiggins in any Butler deal, so it loses two wing players for a singular one who’s much older. But It’s a clear talent upgrade. Armed with all of their first round picks and other salary on the roster, the Warriors could go out and make other trades to shore up the rotation.
It would take a lot, but that’s the cost of doing business when trying to help one of the greatest players of all time add another ring to his resume. And Butler certainly helps Golden State get closer there.
Denver Nuggets
Similar to the Warriors, the Nuggets trading for Butler would be a bit of a desperation move. Denver would have to include Michael Porter Jr., who is the only true 3-point shooter on a team at the bottom of the league in 3-point rate. On paper, adding Butler, who isn’t a prolific shooter by any means, could make things wonky offensively next to Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.
That said, the Nuggets have kicked the tires on adding another scorer, reportedly inquiring about Zach LaVine and a few other score-first guards. Whereas LaVine presents defensive worries alongside Murray, those concerns wouldn’t be there with Butler.
The bet here is Butler provides the Nuggets with a point-of-attack stopper who can take on the best players in the postseason. Offensively, they’d banking on his comfort working in Miami’s handoff-heavy offense the past 5.5 seasons to translate alongside Jokic and allow their two-man game to blossom.
It’s a big swing that certainly has its flaws but if Butler buys in, it could be the start of a fruitful partnership in Denver.
