NBA Rumors: There's at least one dark horse team that could make a compelling offer for Jimmy Butler ahead of the NBA Trade Deadline.
Over the last couple of days, the Jimmy Butler storyline has escalated quickly. From all indications, it seems as if Jimmy has probably played his final game in a Miami Heat uniform. In the last couple of days, it's been reported that Jimmy has officially requested a trade away from Miami and that the Heat has suspended their All-Star wing for the next seven games.
You'd have to believe that the Heat suspended Jimmy for the next two weeks to help give the front office some time to find a trade before the deadline. That seems like the most likely scenario that is going to play out over the next couple of weeks if it even takes that long.
But while the likes of the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, and Golden State Warriors have been named as the most likely suitors for Jimmy, I believe there's one dark horse team that could turn the pursuit of the All-Star upside down. And that's the Denver Nuggets. The Nuggets are desperate to make a roster-altering move for a star player and have a contract and talent, Michael Porter Jr., that could make some sense for the Heat.
Should the Miami Heat want to take on MPJ's contract?
The big question in a potential deal of this magnitude is whether the Heat would want to take on the final two years of MPJ's contract and whether they believe he's good enough to build a blockbuster deal around. If the answer to that question is no, this possibility becomes that much more difficult. In fact, if the Heat isn't excited about the potnetial of MPJ as a centerpiece of a deal for Jimmy, the only chance the Nuggets would have of pulling off such a deal would be to find a third of fourth team to send MPJ to and then other assets to Miami.
What is the probability of that? Well, that could be difficult. It's hard to gauge what MPJ's market is at the moment considering he hasn't been widely shopped of late. On paper, for how productive of a player MPJ has been, his value can't be that bad on the open market. In fact, that may be already something the Nuggets are already trying to figure out.
There are many reasons why the Nuggets should at least make a phone call to see if they could get to a point where they could pull off such a deal for Jimmy. He's a player that would seemingly fit right in for what the Nuggets need opposite of Jamal Murray and Nikola Jokic. Even if it would end up being for a half-year rental, the chance of a championship in this sole season may be worth the gamble for Denver.
As the Heat begin to take calls for Jimmy over the next few days and possibly weeks, it would be foolish to completely discount a team like the Nuggets. They're desperate and have had the appetite to make such a big move for a while now. Maybe a disgruntled Jimmy is the perfect trade target for the team.