Trading for Jimmy Butler in 2019 was the best decision the Miami Heat made in a long time. The 6x NBA All-Star made the team competitive again, helping it reach two NBA Finals in four years.
His competitive nature and leadership skills made Butler a fan favorite in South Florida, where he hopes to win a highly desired championship. He came close in 2020 and 2023, but it’s still a pending task.
However, things could have been very different for both. Danny Ainge revealed in an interview with Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles in the Players’ Tribune podcast Knuckleheads that he tried to get Butler for the Boston Celtics.
Former Celtics GM Danny Ainge reveals he tried to get Butler
“Some of the best trades I ever made were the ones I wasn’t able to make,” Ainge said, as quoted by ClutchPoints. “I was trying to get Jimmy Butler from Chicago when I was in Boston, but they wanted a lot. So we didn’t do it. And it ended up being Jaylen [Brown] and Jayson [Tatum]. Both of those draft picks.”
It’s safe to say that both Heat fans and Butler are glad that this didn’t come to fruition, as they are perfectly happy together. The Celtics, however, found a way to grow with Brown and Tatum. Now they only need to go the distance and win a championship to silence the doubts.