Teams that should – and should not – trade for Jimmy Butler

MINNEAPOLIS – Jimmy Butler, the four-time All-Star who asked to be traded from Minnesota, is an NBA alpha – or, at worst, a dominant beta.

Butler is one of the best talents in the league, capable of changing a game into attack or defense. He has earned a solid reputation as a person who can quickly change the culture of a team. The 29-year-old should be a near-perfect business target for just about every team that is still looking to take a leap when the NBA's training camps open this week.

Despite its undeniable star power, the reality is that Butler would not be an ideal partner for some of the teams most interested in his services. This is largely due to the uniqueness of the player – and the two or three red flags that would make his acquisition riskier than usual.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski said the list of teams interested in Butler includes the Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers, both teams popular with Butler, as well as the Pistons, Rockets, Heat, Sixers, Blazers and Kings.

But realistically, trading for Butler is not an automatic win for all these teams. The size of his contract, the type of role he must play and the assets needed to obtain it make this job a major challenge. Of this list, there may be four (the Clippers, Pistons, Heat and Blazers) where the movement seems to be worth the risk. For others, there are obvious pitfalls that could make such an initiative disastrous.

Perhaps the most glaring problem to consider is the amount of time Butler has played in the past five seasons: a record 37.6 minutes per game in this period and 26 games with at least 45 minutes since 2013 -14 – 11 more games than the next player on the list, by Basketball-Reference.com.

All this could explain how someone like Butler – who relies mainly on his physique instead of his jump as a player. But last season alone was far from ideal from a health point of view. After being ranked at the top of the standings by the end of February, Butler suffered a right knee injury that required surgery. And although injuries are often unpredictable, Butler was not the biggest shock in the world. He had missed four games in January with right knee pain that might have required an MRI, and Butler took the unusual step of missing the All-Star game the following month, citing a need for rest. Five days later, he was injured to the point of requiring intervention on his meniscus.

Butler takes on grueling tasks by being often the main handler of bullets – especially in the clutch, where his aggressive style has attracted more free kicks than any player – and who keeps the best scorer of the opposing team. And the possibility of injury to slow down a player at the age of 30 should allow a club to pause before giving up assets. He has not even signed a five-year extension and $ 190 million in 2019. to become a free agent.

Zooming in on the moment, let's be clear: Butler is absolutely worth a considerable bet from the point of view of talent alone. His coach, Tom Thibodeau, who thinks so much of Butler that he asked him Monday to reconsider his request, called the swingman "best player in the league."

On the night of February 23, while Butler had suffered a knee injury, the Timberwolves were tied for third place in the loaded West. By the time he returned, he returned six weeks later. Minnesota had to win its last three games of the season, including a thrilling final against the win over Denver, to secure the franchise's first playoff trip in 14 years.

With Butler, the Wolves were arguably one of the top three teams in the NBA, beating their opponents by more than 8 points per 100 possessions; without him, the club had the profile of a team of less than 10 players, hemorrhaging nearly 5 points per 100 possessions. Few stars, even superstars, have this kind of revolutionary impact.

However, it is quite convincing that Butler simply does not make sense in some clubs – especially young people with whom he might lack patience. He frustrated young teammates in Chicago two years ago, wondering if they were as concerned about winning as winning, a criticism that drove Fred Hoiberg to prepare him for a game. Last year in Minnesota, reports suggested that Butler was not always in touch with young star Karl-Anthony Towns. (Cities finally agreed to its $ 190 million extension over five years as a result of Butler's commercial demand, which credited the report, but cities said Monday that the issues were not related.) With that in mind, a young team like the Nets or the Kings – still in the development phase – would not seem ideal for Butler.

The other thing that needs to be considered with Butler, especially in Houston, Philadelphia or Portland, is how he would fit in with another dominant guard. This experience did not work so well as when the Bulls shared backcourt with Butler and Derrick Rose, and rumors circulated that there was a power struggle because of the lack of clarity in their roles.

There would not be such a question with the Clippers or Heat. And the Pistons and Blazers desperately need talent enhancements to improve their position in their respective conferences – which is especially true in Portland, although there would be questions about Butler's form with Damian Lillard.

Few NBA players can have an impact on a game like Butler can. But given what we know about the talented guard, only a few teams would be able to move heaven and earth to negotiate it right now.