Miami Heat superstar, Jimmy Butler has indicated to the team that he wants to be traded, as per ESPN. According to the report, Butler has not provided Miami with any preferred trade destinations. The 35-year-old holds the view that he can make any team in the NBA an instant contender for the championship. Butler might not have provided a list, but we sure will. Today, we’ll be looking at and ranking five of the best trade destinations for Heat’s Jimmy Butler.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are currently first in a tightly contested Western Conference. They’ve been able to achieve a great deal despite not having a lot of experience on their roster. However, their lack of experience could prove to be detrimental once it’s time for the playoffs. But, having Jimmy Butler on the squad can easily solve that issue as the man has led the Heat to two NBA Finals. Furthermore, Butler will also greatly improve the Thunder’s defense, and we don’t even need to get into how good of a duo he and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would make.
Nikola Jokic is easily one of the best players in the league at the moment. What the Joker does on a nightly basis is borderline absurd, but regardless of his stellar performances, the Nuggets have been unable to play to their full potential. The Nuggets’ defense, in particular, can be quite disappointing at times, this wouldn’t be the case with a player of Jimmy Butler’s talents on the roster. Moreover, Butler’s level of play elevates during the playoffs and he is, by far, more reliable than Jamal Murray. The Nuggets might be able to land Butler by offering Michael Porter Jr. if need be.
Gone are the days when LeBron James could single-handedly lead a team to the NBA Finals. While James can still light it up from time to time, he needs help, now more than ever. Anthony Davis is an excellent backup, but his injury issues make him unreliable for a team that’s hoping to compete for the NBA Championship. Furthermore, the Lakers have been abysmal on defense this season. Having Jimmy Butler on the team would single-handedly solve all of these problems for the Lakers and they have more than enough pieces to make this trade happen.
Jimmy Butler is a player who likes to attack the paint and bring a certain ferocity on defense. He can do great things on a basketball court with a relatively low usage rate. This makes him perfect for Greg Popovich’s system that the Spurs use. Moreover, pairing him with Victor Wembanyama would instantly make the Spurs a threat in the Western Conference.
As things stand, the Golden State Warriors won’t be able to achieve a lot come playoff time. In fact, at the pace they’re going, it isn’t even guaranteed that they will make the playoffs. All signs indicate, that the Warriors need another star on the roster and they’re also in the market for one, as per various sources. Jimmy Butler can be that star for Golden State. We all know what Stephen Curry paired with another star is capable of in the playoffs.
Butler can single-handedly elevate any team, whether it’s the rebuilding Spurs or the contending Thunder, therefore his trade will undoubtedly have a huge impact on the NBA landscape.
