As everyone knows by now, Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler and the Phoenix Suns have the hots for each other. That’s far from the only reason that the All-Star is willing to leave the beach for the desert. However, it helps make Phoenix his most likely destination. After the Suns were able to extract three first-round picks from the Utah Jazz for the price of one, what may have once been a pipe dream now seems very lucid.
There are still other teams that could swoop in and steal Butler.
Reason Jimmy Butler Rebuffed Grizzlies Revealed
They’re apparently eyeing Suns guard Bradley Beal, but Butler fits a more pressing need for the Milwaukee Bucks. The Toronto Raptors want to get in on the Butler trade. A player other than him could be their target. Yet, given their trade for Kawhi Leonard when he was in a similar situation, it might not be wise to count them out as a legitimate landing spot.
Though they’ve been discouraged from trading for Butler, the Memphis Grizzlies could still be a viable option as well, at least according to Yahoo Sports insider Kevin O’Connor. On the most recent airing of the Kevin O’Connor Show, it’s eponymous host says: “From my understanding, Butler doesn’t want to go to Memphis because there’s no confidence they’d give him a long-term contract.”
O’Connor then suggests that the Heat could trade Butler to the Grizzlies regardless if they’re just looking for the best deal.
Why Wouldn’t They?
To his point, it’s all but impossible for Miami to salvage their relationship with Butler, and vice-versa. It’s been an ugly breakup which has led to hard feelings from players and executives. It’s been proven that even in situations that aren’t emotionally-charged, teams will ship a star other than where they want to be.
When Beal requested to be traded by the Washington Wizards, his preference was to play for the Heat. Instead, they shipped him to the Suns. When Lillard decided it was time to leave the Portland Trail Blazers, he put Miami on his shortlist. Now he’s on the Bucks roster. In other words, just because Butler has made it clear where he wants to go, the Heat don’t have to play ball.
If Memphis can come with a better offer than Phoenix, or any other team, why wouldn’t Miami make the trade? It’s not like who Butler signs a long-term deal with affects them. At most, it could signal to other players not to get on the team’s bad side. Yet, Heat president Pat Riley has already done plenty to make that clear.
In fact, it’s the Grizzlies who’ll take the biggest risk.
They’ll likely get the most talented player in the trade but one who’s getting off the plane with a lot of baggage. Over the next few months, Butler and Memphis will try to figure each other out. It’s a familiar dance but the 35-year-old has shown that he’ll march to the beat of his own drum. Thus, it could come down to whether they value continuity –and perhaps chemistry –over Super Saiyan Dillon Brooks.
