The more the Miami Heat (9-10) underperforms and loses significant games, the more pressure it is going to be for the playoff expectations. A team with Jimmy Butler is always going to have NBA title expectations based on his work ethic.
Butler is one of the few elite stars in the league that doesn't have an NBA title under his belt despite appearing in the NBA Finals twice with the Miami Heat .
At 35 years old, there isn't much time for Butler to get his first title. That is the trade rumors are running so he can go to a team that helps win a title and he will play to the best of his ability. Former NBA star and current NBA analyst on FanDuel's Run It Back had a few suggestions with some teams for Butler to be traded to.
“I got two places I'd like to see him and I think two teams that are on the rise that are young enough and good enough that need small forwards.
Jimmy Butler to the Houston Rockets tipped
The first team that Parsons recommends for Butler to be traded to are the Houston Rockets .
“I think it's the Houston Rockets, who are right there and fits that culture, he fits that DNA, he would be with (Ime) Udoka.
“I think there are enough vets in that locker room where he's going to grind, he's going to buy into what they're doing.”
Houston is one of the biggest surprise teams this season based on where they finished last season. In the offseason heading into the 2023-2024 NBA Season, the Rockets acquired point guard Fred VanVleet and small forward Dillion Brooks. They finished the season 41-41 and in 11th place in the Western Conference, just one spot short of the play-in.
This season, the Rockets (15-6) are playing as a full unit as there are many key contributors to both ends of the court. They are seeing solid performances from veterans like VanVleet and Brooks as well as young future stars like guard Jalen Green and center Alperen Sengun. Adding a team leader and a dominant-minded player on both ends of the court will make the second-best team in the West even more dangerous.
Jimmy Butler to the Cleveland Cavaliers tipped
The second team that Parsons suggests for Butler to contend for a title are the Cleveland Cavaliers .
He explained: “The Cleveland Cavaliers, they need a small forward. They need a small forward since LeBron James left. I think he would fit there, he kinda gives them that toughness, and I'd like to see that.
“And Again, Jimmy Butler is a dawg, he is a great player, you don't just trade away a great player, but if he's just going to walk this summer, you lose him for nothing.”
The Cavaliers remain one of the best teams in the league after last year's impressive run. Cleveland has been a great team since they acquired shooting guard Donovan Mitchell. They are seeing fantastic play from their guard in Mitchell and point guard Darius Garland. Mitchell is a legitimate MVP candidate who is averaging 24.6 points, 4.9 total rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.5 steals per game. Garland is averaging a career-high 20.8 points, 6.9 assists and 1.1 steals per game.
Cleveland already has one of the best frontcourts in the league and an underrated backcourt. Adding Butler to this stacked roster would give the Cavaliers potentially the most complete starting lineup in the NBA in years. It would certainly give the Cavaliers, who only have three losses in 21 games, huge title odds.