[HitsterParticipant]

It looks like Jimmy Butler is on his way out of Miami given they have suspended him for 7 games and there has been no offer of a new contract for him despite him having been eligible to extend for a while.

Jimmy has said he will opt out of a hefty players option next season and will no doubt be looking for a 3 year deal to take him up to 38 years old as that would be the max he could sign. I’d assume he’d be looking for something in the range of what Paul George got last summer although Jimmy would be almost 2 years older than PG13 was when the respective contracts were signed. But both would take the guys up to 38.

Jimmy has a list of teams he’s like to be traded to but without a “No trade” clause Pat Riley and co could send him anywhere or just let his contract run out and he walks like PG13 did. Miami aren’t going to take back longer contracts or players they don’t want to get Jimmy to his favoured teams and those teams don’t have the assets that uninterested teams do.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

All good points, wondering where he’ll end up at. Is his value a first round pick???

[HitsterParticipant]

It depends what sort of pick it is.

Outside of his preferred teams I’ve seen the Spurs mentioned if we assume that Castle is off limits would Keldon Johnson on a reasonable contract be of interest to the Heat along with Harrison Barnes who I could see being the sort of veteran Riley, Spol and co would like. The Spurs could throw in a future first rounder too of one of the many they possess.

My other thought was NoP with Ingram on his expiring deal and likely to test FA. Might a pretty straight swap be on the cards there. Heat get first at one of the better FA’s next summer. NoP can try Butler and Zion this season or maybe mainly sit them to try and sit them to improve lottery odds.

Butler then has Zion, McCollum, Murray, Murphy and a high pick as running mates for next season. If he walks then NoP are in same position as if Ingram walked so they lose nothing.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

I kind of like the Pelicans idea. It’s about the only team I can see giving up something of value for Jimmy and maybe the only team that has a sucker punches chance of winning it with Jimmy and a healthy lineup. I hope a team like the Spurs doesn’t do that. Idk though, would you trade 50 million dollars worth of chips and a 1st round pick to get Jimmy? Remember when the lakers traded Timofey Mozgov and D’Angelo Russell to get that first rounder in Lonzo Ball back in the day??? That’s the kind of trade I’m thinking… Is Butler even worth a first? And I mean back half of the first round. He’s 38 and not getting younger. He has a lot of demands similar to a lot of other guys that age. And he’s not quite going to take a team to the promise land… I’m kind of thinking that nobody will want to push in the chips for that, as the track record to do so hasn’t panned out so far. The Lakers haven’t won many with LeBron. Just a shortened season. Kevin Durant fleeced the Suns. They would have been better off with Mikal Bridges and a bunch of picks they lost getting Durant. Not saying it won’t happen, but I think it would be foolish for any team to try to get Jimmy while giving up multiple firsts or something. Watch, the Lakers will trade their future for Jimmy Butler. eeek!

[HitsterParticipant]

The Lakers would only go in for Jimmy Butler if they felt they could win this year or next and might want him to opt in for next season. Would Jimmy do that for the chance to play with LBJ and AD?

KD has been a good player for the Suns but those picks lost and having to trade Ayton has cost us. The Nets got way too many picks for Bridges too but they have a good team in situ too.

Butler for Ingram would be a pretty straight up trade with a filler to balance out salaries and no picks, If NoP are going to lose Ingram for nothing they can do same with Butler or it gives them an experienced extra piece with McCollum, Murray etc to go with Zion and this years draft pick.

Brooklyn with Ben Simmons’ expiring deal might be interested in Butler to see if he fitted in, if not he walks and they still have cap space. Heat can have a look at Simmons and see if they can get anything out of him. Nets have a lot of picks due so maybe send a protected first rounder.

[r377Participant]

Jimmy Butler is the biggest cancer in the NBA. He constantly quits on his team.

He is not a franchise player or worth $50 mill. Miami get rid of him for a sack of potatoes !

[HitsterParticipant]

Jimmy was a guy who worked his way to the top and has taken the Heat to two NBA title games but he is pushing 36 now and I doubt Riley and co wanted to commit 3 more years to him when he had a nice player option for next season. If they had been serious about trading him I think it would have played out last summer but nothing happened and I can now just see him walking come summer.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

I was thinking… Butler should come to terms to shut it down this year… and hopefully get traded to the Bulls. That’s where he started his career, and it would be a fine full circle to go there again. I don’t know the trade I’d make, but no LaVine would probably not be involved due to the extra year in the contract. Either that or just retire already…

[HitsterParticipant]

There is talk LaVine might go to Lakers or GSW I’ve read. I’d think the Heat would love to swap LaVine for Butler as LaVine is not quite 30 and Butler is 35 so the extra year on LaVine’s deal wouldn’t be an issue IMO.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

I hope LaVine doesn’t go to the Lakers…

[HitsterParticipant]

Butler’s suspension ends tomorrow and the trade deadline is 3 weeks away. So something has to give. If Butler refuses to play or doesn’t perform then that reflects badly on him and at his age would teams then consider him in FA. The Heat may have been disrespectful to Butler who has helped the team to win two Eastern Conferences but Butler is pushing 36 and hasn’t played over 64 games in a regular season for the Heat.

He has a big player option for next season which will take him towards his 37th birthday. But due to being born in September Jimmy can play a full season as a 38 year old so wants a 3 year deal this summer or wanted something similar to cover this timespan from the Heat last summer.

I can understand Butler’s point of view wanting to max out his earnings and he has brought success to his team. But Pat Riley has coached and run teams with far bigger names and better players than Jimmy Butler so he won’t back down.

Also if Pat does trade Jimmy to a lottery team then how does Jimmy react there if he refuses to play or goes into cruise mode that reflects badly and affects his FA value in the summer. If he takes a buyout he’d likely lose money and his player option goes so with hom wanting to max his earnings he cannot really do that.

I do like him returning to Chicago for LaVine it would be a homecoming and then he can take his options from there.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

I’m not sure Jimmy Butler’s worth a first-round pick. Looking at team needs and contracts and there’s not much demand for him.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

Wow, looks like he wants to go to Phoenix. Do they dare? Can it work?

[HitsterParticipant]

As a Phoenix fan I don’t personally want to give up too much for Butler. KD and Booker are off limits so it would need Bradley Beal to waive his NTC and I don’t see Pat Riley wanting to take on $110 million guaranteed on Beal’s deal after this season. The Suns don’t have control over their own draft picks until about 2031 too so I cannot see how the deal happens.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Beal for Butler would benefit both teams. But would it benefit Beal and does he really wanna up and move his home right now? You gotta imagine a 30ppg scorer thinks he could be doing more than the 17 ppg hes currently averaging,

[HitsterParticipant]

I’ve heard a lot that Bradley Beal doesn’t like to move about and didn’t push to get out of Washington and even got a NTC to protect himself. So maybe he is happy to play out his time in Phoenix. He has made hell of a lot of money in his career and has two more lucrative years to come so maybe he is content.

He did play for the Florida Gators during his college year so he would know the area and was happy to spend his college year there so Miami might just appeal. But would Pat Riley want him to give up his NTC if he did move?

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

Don’t know if this will be related to Jimmy or not, but looks like PHX and UTA made a trade for some picks…

[HitsterParticipant]

Looks like something is happening as Danny Ainge doesn’t give up picks lightly. The Suns are even more exposed long term now and Utah get a longer spread of future picks too.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

yeah, but that pick in 2031 is highly likely going to be a gem.

[HitsterParticipant]

Like when Pops and co turned the 8th pick last year into an unprotected 2031 first round pick and a2030 pick swap a bit of forward planning.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

I hope it’s future planning and they don’t blow it on Jimmy Butler or something

[HitsterParticipant]

Utah are future planning and we all know Ainge lives by the Red Auerbach mantra you can never have enough draft picks but maybe he feels unprotected 2031 could be better than late first rounders in next few years. Plus Utah have so many picks due he has consolidated a few.

The Suns if they are going for Butler need to move Bradley Beal and his NTC so I do think a deal is in the offing. The picks will go mainly to getting a team to take BB and his NTC and not to Miami unless Riley and co would take it on for picks. I’m guessing the Suns have found a landing spot for Brad he is happy with and have that deal ready as a 3 team deal with Miami to get Butler.

[OhCanada-Participant]

immy Butler was never a top 5 player in the NBA and he was only ever a top 10 player for one season. He should be thankful he got $150 mil for 3 years in Miami and happily retire there for a discount. Instead he’s gonna try to stay healthy and make one last push to gouge another team which is looking like its going to be the Suns or Warriors because those teams desperately need to sell to their fans the fact that they tried to put together a contender before they blow it all up and Jimmy would be the perfect scapegoat if it doesnt work.

This is the part of the sport I really hate nowadays. Its kinda why I didnt comment much in this thread. Zion is another one. For a bit there I was thinking the Raptors should buy low on Zion. He’s a top 10 talent and the odds of getting one of those are really tough. He has the link with RJ Barrett. And in an interveiw or segment with Mccollum, Ingram and him he listed Toronto as his favorite city along with NY and Dallas. But in that same interveiw he flat out laughed at and made fun of CJ Mccollum for stretching before games and said “youll never get me to stretch” something along those lines.

Just athletes today are primadonna’s and way too entitled. They are celebrities and have the red carpet rolled out for them from the age of 16 and to their credit have adapted to the harsh nature of the buisness. And just look. Zion Williamson, Jimmy Butler, Ben Simmons all have found loopholes and made buisness decisions. Better than what happened to Isaiah Thomas with Boston. Kawhi did it too, gave us an MVP calibur season with Toronto wins a Championship then cashed out and threw in the towel. And the tough part is we dont know who’s gonna do it next. It could be Wemby, could be Flagg. Just part of the game nowadays.

[SwatLakeCityParticipant]

The Jazz traded one of their picks (from the Cavs or Wolves) this year to the Suns not because Butler will go to the Suns, but because the lesser pick (most likely the Cavs pick will be in the 28-30 range and Ainge doesn’t want that pick. Sure it couldn’t hurt to have more picks but I’m not sure if there’s a player that the Jazz need in this draft if they are drafted that late even if this is a very deep draft. But back to the Butler trade. I hope it just stays simple. Miami needs to determine what kind of 3 they want alongside Herro and D-Rob. Do they want a 3 with the same skills as Butler but is less of a head case or do they want one with championship experience. I’m kind of hoping it’s the former. One 3 that fits the bill I think is Demar DeRozan. And there is a very simple trade that would work for both sides Derozan and Huerter to the Heat for Butler. Butler might like finishing his career alongside Fox and Monk. Two hard-nosed players like he is, and he would still be able to help mentor Keegan Murray just like he was able to help mentor Jaquez and Jovic.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

Glad to see an OG on here, it’s been a minute since we’ve seen you on here… Interesting takes though. I would try to go young instead of DeRozan, but I can see where you’re going with it. I just don’t think they want to replace a star vet for another vet. Both are in their twilight of their careers. I like the idea of what Sacramento would do in that scenario most. I could see something like that happening though…

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

Butler saga continues… walking out of practice and suspended again… smh

[HitsterParticipant]

Butler was told he was coming from the bench too. If they suspend him or keep him out of rotation for rest of the season. Does he have the Spaldings to opt in for next season and try to get a trade from there. If he opts out and becomes a FA then that makes his chances of getting onto a team of choice on his desired salary much harder.

Might he have to take a pay cut and take a one year deal and then hope for a 2 year deal next summer?

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

… and the Heat want multiple picks… with these antics he’s lucky to be worth a 2nd rounder at this point. He’s approaching 40 and isn’t trending in the right direction on many levels.

[HitsterParticipant]

He could opt out and the window closes in under 2 weeks so Miami’s hand becomes worth less day by day. What if he did opt in and played in cruise mode for $52 million next season that would really screw Miami over as even if they traded him they’d get nothing of value back.

[HitsterParticipant]

The Warriors have been 9-1 in their last 10 games and whilst Jimmy hasn’t been putting up spectacular stats his game has certainly re-energised the Warriors. If they can have a couple of good play off runs with Steph and “Play off Jimmy” the trade may well work out for them.

[Author]

Posts