The Jimmy Butler saga in Miami has gone from bad to worse, as the Heat star has now been suspended for seven games after publicly stating his displeasure with the franchise after their 128-115 loss to the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night.

Shortly after the press conference, where Butler stated that he was unhappy playing for the Heat and probably wasn't going to get that joy back, the news came out that Butler had formally requested a trade from the team.

The Denver Nuggets have been a team that has been at the center of trade discussions for a few months now as they have battled injuries and inconsistencies. The possibility remains that the Nuggets could flip a big salary like Michael Porter Jr. for a star player to put next to Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, and Butler could be one of the candidates for that role according to Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints.

“Since defeating Butler's Heat in the 2023 NBA Finals, the Nuggets have failed to live up to expectations,” Siegel wrote. “As a result, trade rumors surrounding Michael Porter Jr. and his future with the organization have appeared. While Denver has shot down all speculation regarding Porter's uncertain status with the team, talk amongst league circles still links a potential Butler trade to the Nuggets. This is a scenario that has bounced around the league dating back to the middle of December.”

Jimmy Butler's complicated fit with the Nuggets

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) reacts back to the bench after scoring on his own rebounded ball in the second half against the Atlanta Hawks at Ball Arena.
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Jimmy Butler has been a name that has been floating around the Nuggets for a long time now, but he would be an interesting fit with the team if he were to get traded there.

On one hand, Butler would be a great fit next to Nikola Jokic. He is a smart player and a great player without the ball in his hands, which is a prerequisite for playing with Jokic. Butler's ability to be a screener and cutter would be a crucial skill within the Nuggets' offensive ecosystem. He can also be a secondary creator for Denver and would hypothetically be a great fit in a two-man game setting with Jokic.

On the other side, the Nuggets have one glaring weakness: they don't take enough or make enough 3-pointers. Butler certainly wouldn't help that, as he's taking just 1.5 3s per game and making less than one of them. Replacing Porter, one of the most lethal shooters in the NBA, with Butler would make the Nuggets' biggest problem even worse.

“The math problem” in the NBA is often overstated, but the Nuggets would be very much behind the 8-ball in that regard if they were to make this deal. Surrounding Jokic, one of the best in the world at creating open 3s for his teammates, with very little shooting doesn't seem like the best way forward for the Nuggets. However, Calvin Booth may think that Butler's defense and playmaking can help the team contend for another title.