The NBA trade deadline is just a week away, and there’s no team more desperate to make a deal than the Miami Heat. Jimmy Butler has been throwing a temper tantrum for a month to force his way out of town, and though they haven’t yet had any luck in shipping him out, the Heat are said to be doing all they can to make it happen.
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Butler’s bad behavior is forcing Pat Riley’s hand, but it’s also lowering his asking price because teams could very reasonably ask why they would want to bring aboard a 35-year-old problem child, especially if they’re trying to compete for a playoff spot. That means that Riley needs to find someone equally as desperate in order to get this done and end this relationship once and for all.
What teams can look past Butler’s red flags and part with something of value for the aging star? That’s the million-dollar question, and Pat Riley only has a week to find the answer. Here are three players he should be targeting that he just might be able to get.
Jonathan Kuminga, Golden State Warriors
The Warriors might be the team most motivated to make a play for Butler. Golden State beat the league-leading Thunder last night, proving that they still have the ceiling to topple the best teams in the league. They just haven’t proven it on a consistent enough basis, as they’re currently just 24-23. They’re on the outside looking in not only of the playoffs but the play-in-game tournament, as well.
Butler’s playoff bona fides could be an enticing pairing to go with Steph Curry. Riley could convince Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. to part ways with Kuminga, who has never fully panned out as the generational bridge the team hoped he could be.
Though not to the same degree as Jimmy Butler, Kuminga has been unhappy at times in Golden State. A fresh start in South Beach could be just what he needs to find another level. He’s still only 22, so there’s lots of untapped potential here.
GG Jackson, Memphis Grizzlies
We’re not sure what Butler has against Memphis, but at the outset of his trade demand, he cited the Grizzlies as one team he was not interested in going to. That’s too bad, because Memphis has a bunch of young assets that could make a deal work, plus they could easily view Playoff Jimmy as the missing piece they need to make a deep postseason run.
Pat Riley is not likely to care what Jimmy Butler wants at this point in time, which could bring the Grizzlies back into play. Butler’s primary motivation is that he wants to get paid, and if he is traded to Memphis, he’ll need to be on his best behavior or he’ll certainly sabotage his future earnings.
Memphis could take the risk, and though it would require a package of players to make the salary numbers work, one guy that the Heat should insist on being included is GG Jackson. The second-year player only recently made his season debut after recovering from a broken foot, but he showed flashes last year of being an impact player.
Jackson was the number one recruit coming out of high school, and he’s still just 20 years old. The reasoning here is the same as it was for Kuminga — target guys that still have room to grow.
Michael Porter Jr., Denver Nuggets
If Miami wants a more established player instead, Michael Porter Jr. would be a good place to start. His name has been thrown around in trade rumors all season. But it’s unknown if the Nuggets would still be willing to move him in light of their recent run of quality play, it’s worth a shot from Miami’s perspective.
MPJ is an elite shooter, and pairing him with Tyler Herro would give the Heat a perimeter duo that no team would want to face come playoff time. Like it or not, this is a three-point shooting league now, and Miami is right 11th in the league in three-point percentage. Trading Butler for Porter would vault them into the top five.
There’s always an injury risk with Porter, but he’s managed to stay on the court the past couple of years, playing 81 games last year and 46 of 47 so far this year. He’s also still under contract for an additional two seasons beyond this one, which makes him much more enticing than just trading for an expiring contract and then hoping to find someone good in free agency this summer.
