Bill Simmons Suggests Miami Heat Would Trade Jimmy Butler For Anthony Davis
Along with Kevin Durant and Donovan Mitchell, the Miami Heat have been linked to yet another big-man superstar: Anthony Davis.
During a recent episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast”, Simmons offered a deal that would see the Heat send Jimmy Butler to the Los Angeles Lakers for Davis.
“And if the Lakers called Miami up and said, ‘We’ll give you Anthony Davis for Jimmy Butler,’ Miami is either doing it or they’re having a seven-hour meeting before they decide not to do it,” Simmons said. “But I just think they would do it. If they can turn Jimmy Butler into Anthony Davis, I think they do it.”
The deal would make sense if it was seen from a numbers perspective. Last season, Butler averaged 21 points, five rebounds, five assists, one steal, and 0.5 blocks. He shot 48 percent from the field but only 23 percent from the 3-point line. Davis averaged 23 points, nine rebounds, three assists, one steal, and two blocks. He shot 53 percent from the field and 18 percent from the 3-point line.
But the deal could make both ball clubs worse. With Butler taking Davis’ place on the Lakers, they would be without a primary center, potentially forcing Thomas Bryant into the starting lineup.
Another thing to look at is that James and Butler are primary ball-handlers for their teams, meaning they will need the ball in their hands to generate the offense.
As for the Heat, Davis would add size but even if he and Bam Adebayo shared the court together, they wouldn’t find much success. Neither have proven that they can be the leader of a team.
Although the deal is unlikely to take place, Heat team president Pat Riley has proven that anything is possible.
Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson
