In recent weeks, the majority of rumors linking the Miami Heat to NBA stars currently on other teams have involved either Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant or Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell.
However, famed sports pundit Bill Simmons recently proposed a new superstar that the Heat could target. During a recent episode of his podcast, Simmons offered a potential deal that would have the Heat send Jimmy Butler to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis.
“And if the Lakers called Miami up and said, ‘We’ll give you Anthony Davis for Jimmy Butler,’ Miami is either doing it or they’re having a seven-hour meeting before they decide not to do it,” Simmons said. “But I just think they would do it. If they can turn Jimmy Butler into Anthony Davis, I think they do it.”
Simmons, who is known for his ravenous support of the Boston Celtics, could seemingly be trolling two of his favorite team’s biggest rivals. Though Butler and Davis are both undoubtedly incredible players, this deal would arguably make both the Lakers and Heat worse overall.
While the Lakers would have LeBron James and Butler on their roster, they’d have a massive hole when it comes to big men. Additionally, both James and Butler are strong-willed leaders. It’s possible the two could butt heads and create problems.
On the flip side, a Heat team with Adebayo and Davis and no true alpha like Butler would be an odd roster indeed. Neither Adebayo nor Davis has shown the aggressiveness or confidence necessary to really be the best player on a team that can seriously challenge for a title. Butler, on the other hand, oozes that kind of confidence.
Though Simmons has had some great takes over the years and is indeed a great entertainer, he also has a history of making some asinine calls in terms of predictions, potential trades and more. This proposed trade involving the Heat and Lakers seems to fall somewhere in the middle.
