6. Miami Heat
Consider the Miami Heat a dark horse trade candidate for Jimmy Butler. Although they have a bungled cap situation, Pat Riley is always aggressive in situations like these, and it’s no secret this team has plenty of options when it comes to shedding salary.
I wouldn’t be surprised in the least bit if Butler listed Miami as a destination. He fits the team’s motto of hard work and dedication, plus his close relationship with Dwyane Wade is well-documented.
— JD Shaw (@JShawNBA) September 19, 2018
For starters, “Heat culture” and the lure of South Beach would loom large in Miami’s confidence it could re-sign Jimmy Buckets next summer. Such a superstar acquisition would also launch Riley back into wheeling-and-dealing mode in an effort to put another contender around him.
The superior level of conditioning in Miami is another positive for a player with so many miles on his odometer.
Each front office interested in a long term relationship with Jimmy Butler will rely heavily on their training/performance team. Still only 29 but the guard has been in the top 10 in minutes played over the past 5 seasons with an average of 37.6. Cap hit in Y4/5 is $40.5 + $43.2.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) September 19, 2018
The question is, what could the Heat offer that would pique Thibodeau’s interest? If they’re looking to submit their version of a Godfather offer, it’d look something like this:
Josh Richardson deserved more All-Defensive Team buzz than he got last year, and is one of the league’s more promising 3-and-D weapons. He’d fit in perfectly on a poor defense like Minnesota’s, while Kelly Olynyk was one of the league’s most underrated bench pieces last year.
Throw in a 2019 first round pick and suddenly the Wolves are receiving established talent, youth and a future draft pick. If that’s not the preferred route for either side, Justise Winslow could be substituted in for Richardson.
Or, Miami could try to swindle Thibs into believing Hassan Whiteside‘s rim protection would be a good fit next to Towns:
Dion Waiters was pretty damn good the last time he was healthy, while perhaps a change of scenery is what Whiteside needs. However, Waiters hasn’t proven he can stay healthy and Whiteside is a temper tantrum waiting to happen. Also, good luck convincing Thibs to give up another one of his former Bulls in Taj Gibson.
Whiteside and a 2019 first-rounder is another option if Waiters holds no interest for Thibodeau.
However, it was downright alarming how the small-ball NBA made Whiteside less playable than Olynyk and rookie Bam Adebayo last year. By that vein, the Wolves are better off looking elsewhere unless all the other offers come up short.