Memphis Grizzlies
Dream trade target: Jimmy Butler
Realistic trade target: Cam Johnson
The Memphis Grizzlies are currently sitting as a top 3 seed in the Western Conference. They have the look of a team that could make some noise in the postseason. However, if this team does want to put themselves in the best position to make a deep playoff run, they may need one more star-worthy supporting piece. In a dream scenario, that supporting piece would be Jimmy Butler. Of course, there's only one problem with that - it's the fact that Jimmy has no interest in playing for Memphis.
And if that's the backchanneling that is taking place, it would make little sense for the Grizzlies to trade away real assets for Jimmy. It's a headache the Grizzlies don't need in their life. And if Jimmy is off the board, it wouldn't be surprising for the team to pivot toward a player like Cam Johnson. A veteran wing threat, Johnson could make a ton of sense for a Grizzlies team that would be loading up to make a deep run in the postseason. Johnson isn't Butler but he wouldn't be a bad backup plan.
Miami Heat
Dream trade target: De'Aaron Fox
Realistic trade target: Brandon Ingram
To say that it's been a disastrous season for the Miami Heat would be an understatement. The entire Jimmy Butler situation has completley distorted the outlook for the Heat. But, in a perfect world, there could be a way for the Heat to solve all their concerns - that would be to strike a deal for another star player. In what would be their dream trade deadline target, the Heat would be able to strike a deal for De'Aaron Fox. While the Sacramento Kings are trying to resolve their internal issues, it would be surprising for them to make Fox available this trade season. Could that be different during the offseason? Perhaps. For now, that seems pretty unlikely.
A much more realistic trade target for the Miami Heat could be a player like Brandon Ingram. If the Heat wanted, they could probably use Jimmy's situation to find a multi-team deal to try and land Ingram. Considering how limited of a market he currently has, the Heat would actually be an intriguing potential landing spot for Ingram. I'm not sure if the Heat would pursue such a move, but it's pretty realistic of an outcome.