The Miami Heat have stated that they do not want to trade star Jimmy Butler this summer, but some major NBA sources believe this is simply posturing on the team’s behalf.
On June 21, Howard Beck of The Ringer claimed unequivocally that Butler will be moving on before next season. “Jimmy Butler will be traded,” Beck announced on June 21. “Rival executives have been discussing it for months, for obvious reasons.
Butler is set to turn 35 (with a lot of hard mileage and injuries), has one year left on his Heat contract, and is reportedly looking for a two-year, $113 million extension.If the Heat allow it, they will have little to no room for another star.
And they definitely need one.” Using Beck’s claim as his premise, Greg Swartz of Bleacher Report dubbed the Memphis Grizzlies a “surprise landing spot” for Butler, who is expected to be pursued by a number of teams if he is traded.
If the Grizzlies want to re-establish themselves as a conference powerhouse, bringing Butler in to play with Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. would undoubtedly make a statement,” Swartz said. “A deal centered on Desmond Bane appears to be the most likely outcome.
Losing Butler stings, but it provides the Heat a new 26-and-under core of Bane, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Nikola Jović to build around, without worrying about Butler’s extension.”
Desmond Bane Would Bring Elite Offense, Young Legs to Heat
Bane would slot into the Heat’s backcourt as a dynamic scorer.
He has averaged 21.5 and 23.7 points per game over the last two regular seasons, respectively, while shooting 41.5% from deep in his career on 6.4 attempts per game.
Bane lacks Butler’s stature and defensive prowess, but he has shown himself a good defender over his four-year career.
Bane concluded the season with a defensive rating of 116.6, while the league average was 116.1, placing him in the middle of the pack.
Bane signed a five-year, $197.2 million contract with the Grizzlies in July 2023, keeping him under contract until the 2028-29 season.
Bane will earn $34 million next season, while Butler will earn $48.8 million in 2024-25, implying that Memphis would need to deal more than just Bane to meet salary.
Jimmy Butler Suits Grizzlies’ Short-Term Timeline, Style of Play
Memphis finished 13th in the Western Conference last season and will choose ninth overall in the first round of the NBA draft on Wednesday.
However, the organization’s places at the bottom of the standings and in the lottery do not necessarily predict where the club will be in 2024-25. Morant appeared in just nine games for a Grizzlies team that struggled with injuries to numerous important players for much of last season.
Morant, on the other hand, had been an All-Star in each of the previous two years, and Memphis began the 2022-23 playoffs as the Western Conference’s second seed.
That conference was a beast last year, despite the absence of the Grizzlies as a legitimate threat.
A healthy roster led by a hungry Morant on a potential season-long redemption tour after a prolonged suspension from the league might result in a high-powered and hard-nosed contender that would be ideal for Butler.
As a result, the Grizzlies may be prepared to part with Bane, a promising young shooting guard, for a veteran like Butler, who has extensive postseason experience.
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