Miami Heat Roundtable: What does Justise Winslow’s future look like?

Then would you give him up in a package for Jimmy Butler?

Ebrahim: Absolutely. I’ve defended Winslow in the past and always said that his second contract would define my liking of him. If he got overpaid, I’d be tired of him and vice versa. Three years for $39 million is not bad and with the final year (presumably the most expensive year) having a team option, it’s great that Heat have a way out if his play remains stagnant or declines. But he fits Tom Thibodeau’s system perfectly, it seems. He’s a grinder, he defends, and he has no perimeter shot. That’s exactly what the Timberwolves do, or want to do. So if it takes him, Waiters, and a protected first to get the deal done, I’m all in. In a way, he’ll save his reputation that way. Right now, he’s the top-10 pick that didn’t work out. After that deal, he’d be the top-10 pick that got the Heat Jimmy Butler.

Leniart: It depends on what the package was, but I would not have much of an issue with including Winslow in a deal that nets Miami Butler. It is always difficult to make the decision to trade away young players with upside, but I do not view Winslow as a player that has the potential to be as productive as Butler has been in his career. This decision would be made easier for the Heat if they could pair Winslow with one of their bad contracts in a potential trade.

Eyrich: There are some packages that I would. Just for the simple fact of having an All-Star on the team. Overall, I’m not too comfortable with the idea of Butler in this locker room, so I wouldn’t want much in this package.

Johnson: Sure. I’m all for keeping the band together, especially with the chemistry everyone has on this team. And clearly Butler would be detrimental to that. But maybe Butler’s soon-to-be-expiring contract will change Miami’s trajectory through the next decade, allowing the team to invest in other, shorter term solutions. So, yes, I’d love for Winslow to be a Heat Lifer, but if the Heat aren’t winning playoff series, then no one on the roster should be untouchable.

Play on, Winslow.