In this week’s AllUCanHeat Miami Heat 1-on-1, two contributors discuss if the team should trade for Jimmy Butler or not.
Okay let’s cut to the chase… do you want Jimmy Butler as a member of the Miami Heat?
Imran Ebrahim (@iebrahim81): One hundred percent. I actually referred to this earlier this month, prior to Jimmy Butler demanding a trade. I had said that president Pat Riley should make some type of effort to attain him at the trade deadline. I’m so glad that the timeline has moved up and that he has publicly made it be known that he would like to join the Miami Heat. I firmly believe he’s a top-20 player in the league and would completely fit the mold of what head Erik Spoelstra and management want from a prototypical Heat player. For him to want out of Minnesota because some players don’t take it as seriously as him, I think fits the Heat culture to a t. Most of the players on the team came from untraditional beginnings, whether it be the second round of the draft, the G-League, international play, etc. All they know how to do is hustle and it would be the ideal pairing to bring someone to the team that actually had top-level skill with the same mindset.
Lauren Gewirtz (@laurengewirtz): I would like Butler on the Heat, but not at the expense of Josh Richardson in particular. I would actually really like to see Butler play with Richardson because their playing styles complement each other. My concern with putting Richardson in a trade package for Butler is how much better that would really make the Heat. Yes, Butler is a good player, but will it pay off for the Heat long-term to sign him and give up key parts of the young core? I don’t think so, especially because the Heat would probably not be able to sign him to a max deal next summer. However, if Butler really wants to be in Miami, as was reported by Mark Stein of The New York Times this week, then he should be willing to make it work.
But is there a deal for Butler that you think president Pat Riley should reject?
Ebrahim: Only person on the team I think is untouchable is Bam Adebayo. Yes, Richardson has a beautiful long-term contract, but if worse comes to worse, I wouldn’t be opposed to trading him. I definitely think that giving up Justise Winslow, James or Tyler Johnson, Hassan Whiteside, Goran Dragic, or Dion Waiters would be ideal, specifically if the team can reduce the amount of long-term contracts on hand. If a team like the Sacramento Kings can get involved and steal Gorgui Dieng from the Minnesota Timberwolves instead of the Heat picking up that burden, I’d even throw in a first rounder. With Butler around, that pick will be somewhere in the 20’s. In the end, if Butler dons a Miami Heat jersey and is playing with Adebayo, Olynyk, and Richardson, I’d be a very happy camper.
Gewirtz: Riley should reject any deal that involves trading Richardson, Winslow or any other young player for that matter. While I know some Heat fans are willing to give up just about anything for Butler, I don’t see it as a smart move for the Heat. It sounds like the Timberwolves and Tom Thibodeau are being pretty picky — they apparently even asked the Philadelphia 76ers for Ben Simmons. If the Timberwolves are asking for any of the young players, it seems like a no-go to me. As the days go by, I start to believe more and more that this is a multi-team trade, which I think would actually help work out a better deal.
So do you think Butler will stick around South Florida for the long haul then?
Ebrahim: This is actually one of the reasons I love this fit so much, because I truly think he would re-sign with the team. Being that it is Dwyane Wade’s last season and that him and Wade have a good relationship (they travel together during the summer and they both played at the same alma mater), I would imagine that Wade is perfectly fine with handing the keys to the team to a guy like Butler. Having that type of connection to the team and an inside source on how the team has been run over a long period of time, would be ideal on convincing Butler to stay. Wade will be to Butler as Russell Westbrook was to Paul George. Plus, once Riley gets a plan in motion, he seems to make other things fall in place. Kyrie Irving, anyone?
Gewirtz: If Butler does end up in Miami, I think he will stay for a while. The only reason I believe this more than I would for any other team, is because he told the Timberwolves that Miami was his first choice. That also means that he might be willing to be more flexable with his contract next summer, depending on what the Heat have space for. As of now, the Heat already have 10 players with contracts extending into 2019-20 and are over the $109 million salary cap. Some moves will have to be made to get and keep Butler, but maybe not as many as they thought because he favors coming to the Heat.
And what has been your favorite Butler moment, from either his time with the Chicago Bulls or Minnesota Timberwolves?
Ebrahim: I think my favorite moment, and it’s a pretty weird one to be perfectly honest, is when I found out that Butler was a huge Taylor Swift fan. He started going around various talk shows and stating that he loved her music, and then locker room videos of him dancing to her songs would even end up on Twitter. And I have to admit, I love when players are comfortable in their own skin and don’t care about what people will think of them, a la Westbrook. Basketball-wise though, I just really loved his trade to the Timberwolves. I’m a huge fan of Karl-Anthony Towns and thought for sure that the combo would be a huge threat in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, I guess that didn’t end up working out so well though.
Gewirtz: One of my top favorite Butler moments was from when he was still with the Bulls in 2017, and he scored a whopping 52 points against the Charlotte Hornets. Not only did he score 52 points though, but in doing so, he actually shot 62.5 percent from the field, and made 21 of 22 free throws. There was one play in particular that I remember in the first quarter, where he dribbled back into Jeremy Lamb, spun around to take a few steps and went up strong for a reverse layup. His shooting that night was just so smooth to watch, and he was making shots from basically everywhere on the floor. That was definitely peak Butler.
The Miami Heat/Jimmy Butler waiting game continues.