In a blockbuster three-team proposal, the Heat get a former DPOY and trade Jimmy Butler.
Jimmy Butler is still with the Miami Heat, and the NBA trade deadline is in eight days.
The six-time All-Star doesn’t seem any closer to finding a new home, even after being suspended by the team several times, including indefinitely at the moment.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks got in on Wednesday as a number of basketball experts and analysts crafted trade offers in an attempt to put an end to the Butler controversy.
In order to get Butler out of South Beach, Marks proposed two different three-team blockbuster trades: one including the Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors, and the other involving the Grizzlies and Washington Wizards. Butler joining Memphis and Miami acquiring former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart are the main points of both possible trades.
Butler, Marcus Smart, and Raptors Are at the Heart of Marks’ First Proposal
As Marks points out, the third-seeded Grizzlies (31-16) were “positioned to acquire” wing Dorian Finney-Smith before the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly acquired him “at the last minute.” Elite three-point shooting guard threat Luke Kennard, former undrafted free agent John Konchar, and a 2025 protected first-round pick made up the “framework” of Memphis’ offer, Marks continued.
“Kennard has Bird rights as a free agent, which means he must agree any deal, and his contract is set to expire at $9.2 million. He has $1.4 million in improbable bonuses that go toward the apron because the team he plays for wins the NBA title. Over the next two seasons, Konchar will be owed $13.2 million, Marks clarified. “The Grizzlies have never outright traded one of their own first-round picks since general manager Zach Kleiman took over in 2019.” (That was purchased from Golden State, but Kleiman sent one to Boston as part of the Marcus Smart transaction.) …
The only team with the contracts, draft picks, and apron flexibility to acquire the former All-Star is the Grizzlies. It’s unclear if Memphis views Butler as a player to invest in for the upcoming two seasons or as a rental for the rest of the campaign.
This is the first three-team blockbuster that the ESPN writer suggests, and it includes Miami and Memphis.
The Grizzlies are given:
Jimmy Butler
Received heat:
John Konchar, Marcus Smart, Brandon Clarke, and a 2025 top-14 protected first-round selection
Raptors are given:
Cash considerations for Luke Kennard, a 2026 second-round pick (via the Lakers)
Together with previous Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. and two-time All-Star point guard Ja Morant, Butler would give the Grizzlies a new Big Three, giving Memphis a formidable opponent in the postseason.
“Considering that Butler may become a free agent in the offseason, there is a calculated risk in acquiring him,” Marks stated. However, given how open the Western Conference is this season, the risk is worthwhile. Additionally, Memphis continues to be subject to the luxury tax despite Butler’s $48.8 million salary.
Marks’ Second Concept Replaces Butler, Intelligent, and Contains Wizards
Nearly all of the names are the same in the second potential trade, but the Heat would receive a top-eight protected pick rather than a top-14 pick, and the Grizzlies would also acquire veteran shooting guard Josh Richardson, who has only played eight games this season and hasn’t played since mid-November.
The Grizzlies are given:
James Butler and Josh Richardson
Received heat:
Marcus Smart, John Konchar, Brandon Clarke, and the top eight protected first-round selection in 2025
Wizards are given:
Cash considerations for Luke Kennard, a 2026 second-round pick (via the Lakers)
Butler’s 17.0 points per game are his lowest since the 2013–14 season, and his 4.8 assists are his lowest since 2018–19, despite the fact that he is shooting a career-high 54.0% from the field. Butler is also on track to miss more than 65 games in a season for the seventh consecutive year, which puts any prospective suitor at risk.
Nevertheless, Marks maintained that the Grizzlies might be the most suitable team for the Marquette product and the Heat.
“Memphis offers Miami the best options for players who can contribute now and future flexibility out of all the potential trade destinations,” he wrote. After the 2025–2026 season, Smart and Clarke’s contracts expire, while Konchar has one more year left. The Heat save $35 million this season in payroll and tax penalties by avoiding the luxury tax and falling below the first apron.
