The Grizzlies are engaged in “ongoing discussions” with the Heat on a potential trade for Jimmy Butler, per reports. Memphis is the odds-on favorite to land the six-time All-Star ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.
It’s not a stretch to claim that Butler’s addition would catapult the Grizzlies (24-13) to the upper echelon of NBA title contenders alongside the Celtics (26-10), Thunder (30-5) and Cavaliers (31-4).
The rationale behind that thinking is simple: the Grizzlies have resources to airdrop Butler into their team and not miss a beat. Unlike some other teams earmarked as potential destinations — the Warriors, Suns and Mavericks — the Grizzlies have the requisite contracts and assets to acquire Butler without sacrificing much core depth.
Memphis could potentially package Marcus Smart ($20.2M), Brandon Clarke ($12.5M) and Luke Kennard ($9.2M) with a few of their first-round picks to land Butler. Such a trade would ensure their Big Three of Ja Morant, Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr. are retained along with their two Rookie of the Year candidates, Zach Edey and Jaylen Wells.
A starting unit of Morant, Bane, Butler, Jackson and Edey to go with a bench led by Wells, Scotty Pippen Jr. and Santi Aldama should strike fear in the hearts of opponents across both conferences. The Grizzlies would have the positional size, shooting, leadership, defense and the veteran smarts of Butler to sustain a deep playoff run.
Even without Butler, the Grizzlies are elite. As of Tuesday, they’re the only team in the NBA to rank top five in both offense and defense. However, one of their few weaknesses has been their inability to win in the clutch, ranking 26th in games (5-9) decided by five or fewer points in the final five minutes. Butler, one of the best clutch performers of the last decade, would instantly help them navigate such nerve-wracking scenarios.
Besides the Xs and Os, the Grizzlies and Butler seem like a good fit even personality-wise. Morant and Co. enjoy “ducking no smoke” and thriving in villainous roles. Butler has been the NBA’s ultimate villain for years, something the Bucks, Celtics and strangely enough, the Heat, can attest to. Here’s hoping the Grizzlies can pull this off.
