Western Conference team 'lurking' as potential Jimmy Butler suitor

The Grizzlies are “lurking” as a potential suitor for Heat star Jimmy Butler, according to ESPN's Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps, who report that Memphis has talked to Miami about Butler.

Multiple reporters have indicated that Butler’s camp has warned Memphis not to pursue him, though there hasn’t been an explicit reason given as to why. The 35-year-old makes $48.8M in 202425 and could hit free agency in the summer if he declines his $52.4M player option for ’25-26.

League executives have speculated that the Grizzlies might be interested in Butler for multiple reasons, per Windhorst and Bontemps.

They would like to consolidate some of their talent for an on-court upgrade ahead of the playoffs. Secondly, if they’re able to move off multiple multiyear contracts (Marcus Smart, among others) in a potential Butler deal and the six-time All-Star walks in free agency, they would have enough cap room to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr. in the offseason.

Due to Jackson’s declining contract structure and relatively team-friendly cap hit, a veteran extension may not be possible unless he becomes eligible for a supermax by making an All-NBA team or winning Defensive Player of the Year for the second time.

If Memphis doesn’t want to extend Butler, that could explain why his representatives warned the team against trading for him. His rift with Miami primarily concerns his desire for a maximum salary extension.

Sources tell ESPN that the Heat and Butler are motivated to complete a trade before the Feb. 6 deadline. However, there’s still a legitimate chance the stalemate will extend into the summer when more suitors and options could emerge.

Windhorst and Bontemps confirm that Phoenix's top priority is trading for Butler, referring to the Suns‘ level of desperation as “extremely high." It’s unclear if Phoenix’s recent draft-pick trade with Utah will increase the odds of landing Butler since the Suns have to find a taker for Bradley Beal and his no-trade clause.