Great first half for the KNICKS
Been a great game so far.
We have gone to water though in the last few minutes
and then okc rip off a 10-0 run
I reckon the wording of Barry’s tweet was not “presenting both sides” as he claims.
Oh well, just not good enough in the end but the reality is we are the third or fourth best team in the East and they are they best in the West
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Offence and defence just turned into mush
Jimmy pushing some buttons.
I think Miami will play the Jimmy Butler bluff.
I still don’t think he gives up a $50mil contract. His best chances are to sign with Orlando, San Antonio, OKC, or Houston for between $15mil and $25mil.
That’s Klay Thompson money, but I think Jimmy is eying Paul George $50mil + money.
I like referencing Bobby Marks when there’s anything to do with major trades and apron rules.
He touches on the fine costs and what happens from here with mediation. Can take a year to mediate to be heard and resolved which he thinks Jimmy won’t be on the Heat roster by then.
He mentions a trade with Phoenix and he thinks a third team needs to be involved for that to happen.
He also doesn’t think Golden State will be willing to give up players to reach Jimmy’s salary.
Interesting to hear him say that letting Jimmy go could open up cap space to trade for salaries (and draft picks) next season which I think is a good play to try and maximise trade assets for teams desperate to get under the salary cap aprons.
One month until trade deadline day.
We’ll see if Jimmy has played this to his benefit.
He’s gone. Miami wouldn’t have released that statement otherwise.
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Absolutely 100% he’s gone.
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local media speculating he’ll be gone before his suspensions up
onto everyones next favourite thing after drama.
MULTI-TEAM TRADE DEALS
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The last thing Miami would want is to let this fester. Worst possible thing would be, he’s not traded by the deadline and at the end of the season he opts into that $52M player options for next season. You’ve then got an extension of this circus happening and his trade value is further diminished. Best case from here is Miami to trade him for other expiring contract, or contracts, where the player doesn’t have an option. They then have total control of their cap space heading into next season, get all those benefits back from not being in the apron, etc. Will be a fascinating next month or so until February 6…
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Welcome to Miami: Ben Simmons
Agree Miami would want expiring contracts. They’d also want a young player or a non protected first round draft pick.
So that rules out Beal. Also rules out Wiggins.
D’Lo might be a good option for them. So maybe a three way trade with Brooklyn involved can work. But Brooklyn also want draft capital. Which Miami would also want.
I think Jimmy wants his money. Being on a winning team is a bonus. But his actions say otherwise. He’s been pretty adamant that he’ll let his player option go, but again, I’d be very surprised if he leaves a $50+mil on the table to pick up $15mil elsewhere.
They can play his bluff and trade him then though as well. It’ll be an expiring contract too which teams might be more willing to take on in the offseason than they are now.
And it would be a lot easier for teams to get underneath their aprons by the deadline (which is by the trade halfway into the next season) than it is right now (they must stay under aprons until the deadline).
Right now, the market is slim for teams that want and can trade for Jimmy.
The Suns need another team in the deal (to either take the Beal contract or to take on the extra contract that Miami cannot take back).
The Warriors need to give up 4 or 5 players for him. I don’t think they’ll do that. I suspect they’d prefer a smaller risk play and go for Vucevic without giving up so many players.
I doubt Dallas will go for Butler.
Houston are going the OKC route and will be patient.
OKC is the one to watch for me. They can afford him, have a deep roster and plenty of draft capital. But they might be more likely to trade in the off-season (especially if they don’t go deep in the playoffs) than now.
The NBA has changed. The route to go is have your two max stars then fill around them with good role players. It’s tougher to fill out a roster with a third max player. The apron rules heavily restrict you to get someone on the buyout market and you can’t even use a ‘mid level exception’ because you can only use it to go from the first apron to the second. After that, you can’t use it unless the player is willing to take a $5mil contract (which is unlikely).
The next month will be interesting.
If a trade doesn’t occur, the next six months will be even more interesting.
Suns and Memphis have both dropped out of the Butler betting market. Rumours of a three way trade happening.
memphis betting odds were wild, went from like 5000 to 400
And then completely removed.
Heat getting blown out on home court by the Jazz in the first post-Butler game. Can’t imagine morale within the organisation would be too good…
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Knicks horrible again today. Torched by a very ordinary Chicago
Celtics are good. Very good. But they may be the Essendon 2000 team of this NBA era.
Very strong chance they don’t even make the finals with such a dominant team.
Celtics, Cavs, Knicks, Thunder and Grizzlies all looking very strong.