The Memphis Grizzlies are reportedly a team to monitor in the trade sweepstakes involving Miami Heat star forward Jimmy Butler, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps and Brian Windhorst.
Jimmy Butler Trade Rumors: Grizzlies Are Entertaining The Prospect Of Acquiring The All-Star, His Contract
An anonymous NBA executive believes part of the Grizzlies’ interest may derive from the team’s desire to offload future salary to help fulfill Jaren Jackson Jr.’s contract extension.
Since Butler could opt out of his contract and become a free agent this coming offseason, he could help the Grizzlies in a playoff run this season before opening up significant cap space during the offseason by opting out.
Earlier this month, the Heat suspended Butler seven games for “multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team,” after the six-time All-Star publicly demanded a trade out of Miami.
Butler returned to appear in three games, but the Heat announced another two-game suspension on Wednesday after the 14-year veteran missed a team flight.
Per ESPN’s Bobby Marks, Butler lost $3.1 million in salary because of the two suspensions. The Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang said he “could still get some (or even most) of that back depending on the result of grievances filed through the NBPA.”
Butler Doesn’t Want To Play For The Grizzlies?
Although Jimmy Butler wants out of Miami, the Grizzlies are still not among the teams that he wants to join. Speaking Thursday on NBA Today, ESPN’s Marc J. Spears said Butler wants “just out of Miami, with the exception of Memphis.”
NBA insider Chris Haynes also reported earlier this month that Butler “has no interest in being traded” to Memphis. Haynes added that teams like to have some assurance that a superstar is willing to re-sign on a long-term deal before trading for said player.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on Christmas Day that Butler prefers to be traded to one of these four Western Conference teams: the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, and Phoenix Suns.
If the Heat and Grizzlies can convince Jimmy Butler to play for the Memphis squad, a core of Jaren Jackson Jr., Ja Morant, Desmond Bane, and Butler would significantly boost their title odds in the Western Conference.
