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Paul Pierce Picks Western Conference Team as Best Fit for Jimmy Butler Trade

Jimmy Butler could be on the move.

Kyle Koster

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) is introduced during pregame ceremonies before a game against the Phoenix Suns at Kaseya Center.
Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) is introduced during pregame ceremonies before a game against the Phoenix Suns at Kaseya Center. / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
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The Miami Heat are open to hearing trade offers for Jimmy Butler, who has taken his game and status to a whole new level with the franchise. Speculation about about which other organization has the desire and capacity to execute such a deal has begun. Speak's Paul Pierce put on his general manager cap on Tuesday and tried to identify the best fit. His answer was different than some of the other pundits trying to do exactly the same thing.

"Usually when players report that they want to go to these teams, they usually don't end up like that," Pierce said. "You saw a couple of years ago Dame Lillard wanted to be in Miami but where did he end up in? Milwaukee. The best fit for Jimmy Butler would probably be Denver Nuggets. I think they need another go-to guy to help Joker out, he's been having one of the more dominant seasons of his career, he's probably going to win MVP but if they can somehow find a way to add Jimmy Butler to the Denver Nuggets I think you're going to be seeing Jimmy and Joker raising another championship trophy ... if they don't have to play the Celtics."

The Nuggets to this point haven't exactly looked like a title-contending team. At 12-10 they currently hold the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference. Butler has the type of high motor and competitiveness that would seemingly pair really well with Jokic, who is always looking to reward players moving without the basketball.

Pierce believes the addition of Butler would allow them to realistically compete for a championship and we'll soon find out of the Nuggets feel the same way. Then they'd have to prove it. And that in itself would be interesting because Butler went from second fiddle to first fiddle with a penchant for being the center of all attention come playoff time. He'd have a drastically different role in an offense that runs through the best player in all of basketball.

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Kyle Koster
KYLE KOSTER

Kyle Koster is an assistant managing editor at Sports Illustrated covering the intersection of sports and media. He was formerly the editor in chief of The Big Lead, where he worked from 2011 to '24. Koster also did turns at the Chicago Sun-Times, where he created the Sports Pros(e) blog, and at Woven Digital.

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