If Jimmy Butler stays with the Miami Heat, he will have a new competitor to deal with on March 15th. A competitor who was inspired by him to play basketball at a high level. The Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells is a huge fan of Butler and during a recent media interaction, he said that he’s looking forward to his matchup against him.
Advertisement
Wells has been following the Miami Heat since his childhood. During his teenage years, Butler joined the Heat and became the face of the franchise. Inspired by his style of playing the game, Wells started looking up to the six-time All-Star.
When asked if there’s a “role model” of his in the NBA he is looking forward to playing against, Wells said, “Probably Jimmy Butler. That’s probably the main guy. I grew up being a Heat fan.” Although he’d love to have an opportunity to go against Butler, Wells doesn’t have the date circled on his calendar.
In fact, the 21-year-old doesn’t even know when the next Grizzlies-Heat game is going to be played. He has more than a month to prepare for that game and it will be played at the FedExForum. The small forward has taken a lot of inspiration from Butler’s game and it shows in the way he performs on the hardwood.
Memphis Grizzlies rookie Jaylen Wells on a role model of his that he’s looking forward to facing in the NBA.
“Probably Jimmy Butler. That’s probably the main guy. I grew up being a Heat fan.” – @jaylen_wells
Via @ClutchPoints: https://t.co/SCfRiuyC93pic.twitter.com/61LKXtTw1D https://t.co/X1ivNJqfIV
— Dru (@dru_star) January 26, 2025
As the position demands, Wells is very versatile on both ends of the floor. And for someone who has only been in the league for a few months, his defensive game is commendable. In 46 games this season, he is averaging 11.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while shooting 44.3% from the field and 39.1% from long range.
Although now Wells plays mostly as a small forward, he used to be a shooting guard. Growing up as a Heat fan, he observed Dwyane Wade’s game very closely and put him on the list of people who inspired him. “Growing up, Dwyane Wade was my favorite player. I used to be a smaller guard, so that’s where that came from. I liked his game on both sides of the floor as a smaller guard doing things that made him play like a bigger guard,” Wells told HoopsHype.
During the same conversation, he also talked about what makes Butler’s game so interesting for him. Wells said, “I feel like his game is very simple, and that’s kind of the player I am. I do simple things and whatever it’s going to take to win.” Wells is also inspired by Butler’s winning mentality and his effectiveness on both ends of the floor.
