Jimmy Butler has officially told the Miami Heat that he wants to be traded while putting the entire NBA on notice.
Almost every team in the NBA front office will be looking at their roster to see if they can add Butler, one of the best players in the league, with the small forward wanting to go to a team he’s able to help compete for a championship.
In a recent interview, Butler had told reporters: “I want to see me getting my joy back playing basketball. Wherever that may be, we’ll find out here pretty soon. I’m happy here off the court but I want to be back to somewhat dominant, I want to hoop and I want to help this team win, and right now I’m not doing it.”
After becoming aware of the reports that Butler wants a move away from the Heat, team president Pat Riley released a rare statement in which he said: “We usually don’t comment on rumors, but all this speculation has become a distraction to the team and is not fair to the players and coaches. Therefore, we will make it clear. we are not trading Jimmy Butler.”
Mirror US Sports has taken a look at three teams who could realistically make a move for Butler in the coming days.
Golden State Warriors
The Warriors are in need of another star player joining their ranks if they are to achieve anything this season with them currently looking like a play-in team at best, struggling since losing Klay Thompson.
Golden State had reportedly been looking to trade for LeBron James, so they’ll know that they have the pieces to package a deal for Butler – perhaps maybe looking to boost the odds of winning one last championship with Steph Curry.
Denver Nuggets
A move to Denver could see them become the far and away favorites to win the NBA championship, putting Butler alongside Nikola Jokic in what could be a devastating pick-and-roll duo.
Russell Westbrook has surprisingly given the Nuggets a boost so far this season, but adding Butler’s defensive abilities and offensive output would make them such a dangerous team for anyone to face.
Dallas Mavericks
Last year’s surprise finalists still look to be one of the strongest teams in the league this season with the aforementioned Thompson adding another element to their offense.
But Butler’s ability to bring the ball up alongside Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving could cause matchup nightmares for team’s in the Western Conference. Thompson may have to be involved in a deal to trade for Butler, but that’s a risk that they’ll feel is a good one to enhance their odds of competing.
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