Just seen Trae’s game winner. Insane! The Hawks are a good team, they’ve surrounded him with everything he needs. Athletic wings who can defend, 3-point shooting.
1 Like
i think heat really missed a trick going all in for trae
could you imagine the insanity spo and trae could cook up offensively?
Nice to see Mills in the highlights
Further reports saying Butler only wants to be traded to the Suns. Memphis were prepared to put together a trade package but was advised by Butler’s representation not to and that he wouldn’t extend his stay with the Grizzlies beyond this season.
2 Likes
That shot was incredible.
1 Like
Cavs v OKC, the two hottest teams in the NBA. Good day to still be on leave!
3 Likes
Thunder defence is elite.
Unless Butler is a miracle worker, I don’t see the point, especially if we have to give up a rookie or future first.
The biggest obstacle is finding a suitable landing spot for Beal, who must be traded. First off, he needs to waive his no-trade clause. Heat don’t want him, so a 3rd and possibly 4th team will need to get involved in the transaction. If all Butler wants is a trade to Phoenix and he’s not amenable to going anywhere else, or he makes it clear that he will be a rental for whoever trades for him aside from the Suns, the worst case scenario for the Heat would be that he remains with them past the deadline, he stinks up the joint, decided to opt into his $52M for next season and this whole situation continues to fester.
Right now I’m on the side of the Heat, not Butler. He’s trying to force their hand and make it untenable but he’s actually making it far, far worse…
1 Like
Apparently heat may just cop that and gear up for 26 off season
He definitely is.
If these reports are to be trusted…
Jimmy is doing what he’s done in the past which is hold a grudge with his current owner / executives and just try and make it difficult.
I still suspect he primarily wants to be paid. So I doubt he opts out of $50mil+ to go to the team he wants to get to. Phoenix can’t sign him, so that’s not an option.
An expiring contract Jimmy is easier to trade than the current one. Having said that, I suspect next year there will be a bevy of expiring contracts available and there will still be a small group of teams capable of taking the salary, but probably wouldn’t want to give up draft capital for it.
A sign and trade for Jimmy in the off-season would be a win-win for Miami and Jimmy. I think that’s what they are going for.
Miami will still make the play-in in the east. With or without Butler. Washington, Toronto, Charlotte, Brooklyn and Chicago will go all in on the tank. Miami still might back themselves against the weaker playoff teams (Atlanta, Indiana, Detroit) in a one off elimination game. Hard to see them get past Boston or Cleveland in the first round though. Regardless of which Jimmy turns up.
They have a duty of care towards the rest of their roster too. If he comes back to the team after his suspension, will he down tools? Will he be a disruptive influence on the locker room? I can’t imagine he will be too thrilled to walk back in there if he’s not traded by the deadline.
The fact they suspended him, and it’s cost him about $2.3M or so for the 7 games he misses (likely he will get some of the back at arbitration through the NBAPA), but he will look at it and say “not only are you not prepared to give me a max contract, you’re also taking money off me this season”. I’m not sure I’d want him suiting up for the franchise again. Miami may have to get NBA approval to keep him away from the team permanently, because if they don’t then they could get sanctioned for not activating a perfectly fit and available player.
Where I think Butler is being a ■■■■ is not wanting to be traded anywhere but the Suns. If he said to the Heat that he’d be happy to go anywhere, just get me out, then OK, you’ll get some interest and a move is a better chance of being facilitated. But the team you want to end up at has the biggest obstacle to clear in order to get him.
OKC finally beaten. 15 game win streak is done. Cavs impressive given Mitchell didn’t have a great night. Mobley and Jarrett Allen elite.
2 Likes
They’ve got the length to trouble everyone
Imagine the ratings for an OKC v Cavs finals
If he downs tools he’s only farking himself up. No one will give someone like that a $50mil contract.
Getting his money from the fine isn’t easily. And it won’t be sorted out before the trade deadline. The money gets frozen in an account so Miami don’t get cap relief or anything from it. So Jimmy won’t get anything back for between 6 to 9 months. It might even extend out to a year.
Miami have a duty of care to the other players. But it doesn’t mean they have to screw up their opportunities. If they hang on to Jimmy for a year, then the problems last until then. Take on Beal or a similar contract and they are stuck for the length of that contract (likely to be longer than a Jimmy Butler year).
As you say, Jimmy can’t sit out the rest of his contract and still be paid. He’s a farking $50mil star who should be honouring his contract and the NBA will enact the injury rules and force him to play. I don’t think Miami will let him sit out either. He either joins the team or gets another suspension and further money frozen for arbitration.
No superstar is going to allow their team to just trade them wherever they want. It doesn’t matter what decade you’re in, it just hasn’t happened. If it has it’s a very rare situation. They mostly get to a team that they prefer.
The only reason he’s chosen Phoenix is probably because he’s had some assurances he’ll get an extension. But they have a major Beal problem. He’s a contract that no one wants because of the no trade clause. If it weren’t for that clause, he’d be a better chance of being traded once he’s gone from the Suns. So there’s no incentive to trade for a player who isn’t a superstar any more.
In the end, Jimmy is not worth $50mil per year. Especially at 35 years old. Regardless of whether he qualifies for it, he’s just not worth it. This is from a player who has played 70+ games in a year twice in his career. The quicker he understands that he’s not where he was 5 years ago, the better opportunities he’ll get. I don’t care that he finds no ‘joy’ at Miami. He has $50mil reasons to fulfil his obligations first or foremost.
Jimmy is leaning towards Latrell Sprewell levels of stupidity where he stated he ‘couldn’t feed his family’ on $12mil per year…
1 Like
Ask Kawhi Leonard. Want to be traded to one of the LA teams, Pop sent him to ■■■■■■■ Canada. Dame Lillard wanted to join Miami, he’s in Milwaukee. Donovan Mitchell wanted to be traded to the Knicks, he’s at Cleveland. Plenty of examples of players being dealt to teams they haven’t wanted to be at. Miami can trade Butler theoretically wherever they want. He doesn’t have a no-trade clause. He’s ■■■■■■■ the situation by actively saying “I’m a rental if you trade for me” to every team that’s not Phoenix. He has the leverage of being able to opt in or out for next season. Really what he’s doing is sabotaging the Heat and also himself to an extent, which is dumb. Definitely his rep is taking a massive hit after being restored a fair bit by his Miami tenure. Now he’s ■■■■■■■■ on them trying to get a move away.
3 Likes
Nice list.
Kawhi is the only one who didn’t extend with the team he went to. Also, the Spurs could have gotten something decent for him from either of the LA teams, but there was no way they’d trade with them. They preferred to send him East against his wishes and get less.
For Donovan to get to Cleveland, they had to do a ‘sign and trade’, otherwise they wouldn’t have bothered. And it was in Donovan’s interests to do a sign and trade otherwise he leaves good money on the table. Jimmy will be in this position next off-season.
For Lillard, he was on a long term contract. I think he was fine to get to Milwaukee otherwise, they wouldn’t have bothered.
Jimmy previously named 4 teams. Phoenix, Warriors, Rockets and Mavs. Three of which are a challenge for trades. Not sure why he wants to go to Houston but not Memphis.
Jimmy is pushing Miami to react.
We’ll see if Miami reacts. I think he’ll be with Miami past this next trade deadline.
Miami won’t trade him for nothing.
Like I said, they may as well sign and trade him this off-season (like Mitchell).
Jimmy can leave, but he’s leaving $50mil on the table. Miami would be fine with that. The problems would be over and they can free up cap space for trades from next year.
Jimmy can take up his player option. Then he becomes an expiring contract. Miami would be fine with that as well. They can do a Kawhi on him and just get rid of him for change.
Regardless of which Jimmy they get on the court, Miami aren’t doing anything significant this season. They have time and options to play his bluff. Jimmy doesn’t have many options.
We’re talking about a team that dealt with Shaq, Lebron and Wade. With all, they were patient, went through whatever pain they needed to get through, then built the team. I expect them to do the same with Jimmy.
I hope Miami stands firm. Jimmy is a great player. but not worth an extension.
Lakers / Hornets postponed due to California bushfires. Reddick’s house was lost in the Palisades bushfire.
2 Likes
Makes sense.
I’m not sure we can play it in the next few weeks.
Hopefully both games against the Spurs won’t be postponed.
The next month is packed with either back to back games or a one day break game.
First week of February there’s a small gap in our schedule.
Good chance they sneak games in around the All Star game.
There’s a few gaps in April.
The Knicks might possibly be worse than I thought