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Former NBA Forward Reveals Best Landing Spot For Jimmy Butler

The six-time All-Star was recently reported to be open to a trade.

Alex Kirschenbaum

Dec 12, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) shoots a technical foul against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images
Dec 12, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) shoots a technical foul against the Toronto Raptors during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Rhona Wise-Imagn Images / Rhona Wise-Imagn Images

Former nine-year NBA forward Chandler Parsons, a longtime pace-and-space option on competitive Houston Rockets playoff squads, has weighed in on six-time All-Star Miami Heat small forward Jimmy Butler's potential next destination.

Speaking on his show "Run It Back," alongside cohosts Michelle Beadle and former three-time Sixth Man of the Year combo guard Lou Williams, the 6-foot-9 former small forward and power forward offered his thoughts on Butler's best fit.

Butler, who's just a year younger than the long-retired Parsons at age 35, reportedly has informed his agent Bernie Lee that he is interested in being moved to his hometown Houston Rockets, the Golden State Warriors, the reigning West champion Dallas Mavericks, and potentially the Phoenix Suns, per Shams Charania of ESPN. Due to the league's newly restrictive CBA rules, flipping Butler and his $48.8 million contract could prove tricky for any of those clubs.

“I love the Rockets move, but they have something good going. I don’t like to shake it up when something’s good going,” Parsons, himself a longtime former Houston Rocket during the team's James Harden days, said (hat tip to Alejandro Lopez Vega of BOLA VIP for the transcription). “And when you look at a team like this, Jimmy Butler goes to the Rockets, I think he thinks he’s the number one option. And I think that’s not the best situation for Jimmy Butler right now.”

Parsons was selected with the No. 38 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, just eight spots behind Butler — who was drafted by the Chicago Bulls out of Marquette with the last pick in the first round. In his prime, he was a great floor spacer and solid rebounder for the Rockets and Dallas Mavericks. His best personal season as a scorer arrived in 2013-14, when he averaged 16.6 points on .472/.370/.742 shooting splits, 5.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists, and 1.2 steals across 74 games for the 54-28 club. All those numbers represent his career highs.

“To me, it’s Dallas,” Parsons continued. He also played for the Mavericks from 2014-16, the end of his NBA prime. “You go there, and there’s a pecking order. It’s known; this is Luka’s (Doncic) team and then there’s Kyrie (Irving), and then there’s Jimmy Butler.”

Parsons next lined up with the Memphis Grizzlies, and that's where his severe injury issues began. Health problems, particularly with his back, limited him to just 95 contests (45 starts) out of a possible 244. He finished his career in 2019-20, when he played just five games for the Atlanta Hawks. For his career, Parsons appeared in 440 games (369 starts), averaging 12.7 points while slashing .462/.373/.713, 4.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 0.9 steals.

“Weaknesses for [the Mavericks] is defense, so I think he can provide them a lot of things, fill a lot of holes that they don’t have quite yet,” Parsons noted.

Even in the midst of his 14th season, Butler remains a lethal two-way superstar and the best player for a scrappy 13-10 Miami squad. A five-time All-Defensive Teamer and All-NBA honoree, Butler is averaging 18.6 points on .550/.360/.778 shooting splits, 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 1.2 steals a night with the Heat, and would help serve as a supplemental ball handler and distributor alongside incumbent All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, while also being able to work as a clutch late-game scorer, especially in playoff situations. Butler has led Miami to three Eastern Conference Finals appearances and two NBA Finals berths since joining the team as a free agent in 2019.

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Alex Kirschenbaum
ALEX KIRSCHENBAUM

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