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NBA Trade Idea Sends Jimmy Butler from Miami Heat to Unexpected Team

The Memphis Grizzlies were floated as a potential Jimmy Butler trade destination.
Joey Linn|
Apr 5, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center.
Apr 5, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) reacts after a play during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Memphis GrizzliesMiami Heat

Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler has been the most prominent name in NBA trade rumors this season. A six-time NBA All-Star, Butler could help a lot of contending teams in need of a talent upgrade. That said, he may not be on the move.

On Thursday, the Heat released a statement from team president Pat Riley that shut down the Butler trade rumors.

The statement from Riley read, “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."

While this was a very clear message from Riley, many will not be convinced until the trade deadline passes and Butler remains in Miami. For that reason, hypothetical scenarios will continue to be presented. One of the latest has Butler going to an unexpected team.

In a recent article, Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus floated the Memphis Grizzlies as a theoretical landing spot for Butler.

Jimmy Butler and Marcus Smart
Nov 8, 2023; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart (36) and Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) share a laugh during the first half at FedExForum. | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Via Pincus: “The Memphis Grizzlies could make an offer built around Marcus Smart and others.”

In addition to Memphis, Pincus floated the Denver Nuggets, Golden State Warriors, and Houston Rockets as theoretical fits for Butler. Could a deal including Smart and other pieces bring Butler to Memphis? As of right now, it seems the six-time NBA All-Star is staying put.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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