NBA Rumors: Pairing Blake Griffin With Jimmy Butler Could Be ‘Interesting Move’ For Miami Heat, Per ‘Complex’
The Miami Heat put themselves in a win-now mode when they acquired All-Star forward Jimmy Butler in the 2019 NBA free agency. However, though his arrival is expected to boost their performance on both ends of the floor, it remains a big question mark whether Butler, alone, would be enough to help the Heat achieve their main goal in the 2019-20 NBA season. If they are serious about fully dominating the Eastern Conference and winning the 2020 NBA championship title, the Heat should strongly consider adding another legitimate NBA superstar on their roster.
Several big names are expected to be available on the market before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline, including Blake Griffin of the Detroit Pistons. According to Complex, pairing Jimmy Butler with Griffin would be an “interesting move” for the Heat.
“The Detroit Pistons have playoff aspirations this season but if things go left, would anyone be shocked if they dangle Griffin in trade talks? With the NBA pretty wide open, a contender could look to Griffin as their missing piece and make a big splash. Could the Miami Heat look to pair Griffin and Jimmy Butler? Could be an interesting move.”
Blake Griffin would undeniably be an intriguing acquisition for the Heat, giving them a very reliable scoring option behind Jimmy Butler and an All-Star caliber big man who could help them improve their floor-spacing. Last season, the 30-year-old power forward averaged 24.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists while shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 36.2 percent from beyond the arc. However, with Griffin and Butler both ball-dominant superstars, Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra would need to find a way to maximize their effectiveness when they are sharing the court.
As of now, the Pistons haven’t shown any indication that they are planning to trade Blake Griffin before the 2020 February NBA trade deadline. However, things are expected to dramatically change once they struggle earlier in the 2019-20 NBA season. Once Griffin realizes that they aren’t capable of bringing home the Larry O’Brien Trophy to Detroit, he could follow the footsteps of other NBA superstars and find his way out of the Pistons.
However, with Blake Griffin still remaining as an All-Star caliber talent and under contract until the 2021-22 NBA season, the Heat should come up with an interesting trade package to convince the Pistons to send him to Miami. In the potential deal involving Griffin, the Heat will likely need to include Goran Dragic’s expiring contract and at least one of Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
