Most of the focus on Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been on which team will be his next landing spot.
The betting favorites are the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors, where there’s mutual interest. Two Texas teams, the Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks, are among his preferred destinations. However, amidst all of the trade rumors, Butler’s fit with at least one team has been overlooked.
Jimmy Butler Trade Rumors Have Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies don’t necessarily need Butler. Not only are they currently second in the Western Conference standings at 18-9, they have several star-level and star-caliber players.
Ja Morant’s popularity may have been affected by his off-court antics but he’s still a gifted athlete, finisher, and playmaker. Jaren Jackson Jr. has continues evolve offensively but has the team’s best two-way player for years. Desmond Bane hasn’t played his best his season but is just a season removed from scoring 23.7 points per game.
Amongst the youngsters, second-year forward GG Jackson II might be their most important player. At 6-foot-9, he’s able to score from all over the court, and averaged 20.4 points per contest in the last 18 games of the 2023-24 season. Rookie Zach Edey hasn’t gotten to play his game but he’s proven himself to be an inside-outside scorer. So far this season, he’s averaging 11.3 points per game (19.9 points per 36 minutes) and shooting 60.0 percent from three.
Still, Butler isn’t just a scorer. He’s a gritty defensive-minded two-way playmaker whose skillset allows him to start alongside Morant, Bane, and Jackson (Jr.). If he replaces Brandon Clarke in the lineup, they keep their pace, ball-movement and defensive versatility but add a bucket-getter.
The complication comes in finding the right package for Butler, who makes $48.7 million this season.
Marcus Smart To Miami
The principal player in this trade, aside from Butler, would likely be Marcus Smart.
When the Grizzlies acquired Smart, they were attempting to replace former starter Dillon Brooks. However, while Smart was out with an injury, rookie Jaylen Wells broke out in his 3-and-D role. Now, he’s a first unit fixture and Smart comes off the bench.
Ordinarily, that wouldn’t be much of an issue. Yet, Jackson II’s primary position appears to be small forward. Smart is a nominal point guard. However, Scotty Pippen Jr.’s has emerged as a high-level backup point guard. In fact, his decision-making and shooting ability are even better than Smart’s. That leaves the 2, where Luke Kennard and Vince Williams Jr. could put the squeeze on his minutes.
Not that the Heat will mind, as Smart is an elite on-ball defender with a knack for coming away with steals. Whether he started in Miami or came off the bench, his perimeter defense would be a difference-maker.
Using The Pistons As A Proxy
With Smart’s salary at $20.2 million this season, the Grizzlies have to add more to the deal.
That being said, Memphis has multiple players on expiring contracts. Kennard, Santi Aldama, and Jake LaRavia —who make $16.6 million combined in 2024-25 —could all be added to the deal as well. Including John Konchar and his $6.2 million salary is enough for Memphis to make the trade legal and to get back another piece, like veteran guard Alec Burks.
Should Miami want to re-route salary, the Detroit Pistons are a legitimate option to consider due to their cap space. Players like Aldama and LaRavia could also be of interest to them due to their youth and shooting ability. Kennard, who was drafted by the Pistons, could be sent back to the Motor City for his marksmanship as well.
Using the Pistons as a third team could also help make the package for Butler more enticing from the Heat’s perspective. Detroit could offer draft compensation, be it one or two second-round picks, that Memphis decided to give to Miami. This may not get the Grizzlies off the hook for sending over at least one first-round pick; after all, Butler is on a different tier than Smart. However, it could knock the price down.
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