Although he acknowledges that posturing goes on at this time of year, and that one blockbuster offer could change everything, K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune (Twitter links) says the Bulls are telling teams that Jimmy Butler isn’t available. While Chicago is open to listening to calls on Butler, the club is rebuffing all offers and isn’t actively shopping its star forward, says Johnson. The report is in line with what we heard on Monday from Joe Cowley of The Chicago Sun-Times, who said that Butler’s camp has a growing belief that the Bulls’ All-Star won’t be moved.
Here are a few more items of interest from around the Eastern Conference, with the NBA’s trade deadline just two days away:
- Jake Fischer of SI.com passes along a number of notable updates in his league-wide look at the trade landscape. Among Fischer’s notes? Before they acquired Serge Ibaka, the Raptors made a play for Pistons center Andre Drummond with a package centered around Jonas Valanciunas. Additionally, Fischer reports that the Sixers have no interest in moving T.J. McConnell.
- It doesn’t appear that the Magic and Pistons have any traction on a Reggie Jackson swap at this point, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). Kyler notes that things could change by Thursday, but the latest round of Jackson rumors had the Pistons in talks with the Timberwolves and Knicks. While they’re not on the verge of anything with Jackson, the Magic are on the lookout for a point guard upgrade, Kyler tweets, adding that Suns guard Brandon Knight is on Orlando’s radar to a lesser extent.
- The Celtics have identified a “small group of role players” that would interest them, including P.J. Tucker, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. However, the club has no plans to give up a first-round pick for a modest piece like Tucker, a source tells Himmelsbach. The Globe reporter adds that Sixers big man Jahlil Okafor isn’t presently on Boston’s radar, though ESPN’s Marc Stein said in a recent radio appearance that the C’s hadn’t entirely closed the door on that possibility.
- Beat reporters in Boston haven’t suggested that the Celtics are close to any deal, but Isaiah Thomas put fans on high alert with a tweet on Monday night. As Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com notes, the last time Thomas sent the eyes-wide-open emoji in a tweet, it happened right before the C’s agreed to sign Al Horford.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but Boston needs a first round pick this year to swap with the Nets. If they deal their only pick, and don’t pick up one, then how can they swap picks?
by pick I think they mean any pick but their own
Your right. Boston can’t trade their own pick unless the terms of the trade said it could be whatever pick Boston wanted. It has to be their own pick that they give to Brooklyn. I’m pretty sure the trade was a pretty simple “right to swap picks in 2017.” I might be wrong, but the only way Brooklyn would get a pick that was not Boston’s would be if the trade specifically said “Boston chooses which pick to give up” or “Brooklyn gets the lesser/better of the other first round picks that Boston owns.”
Actually, the Celtics can swap picks at any time. So before making any trade, they would officially swap picks with Brooklyn.
I know they would do that. My point was that Boston can’t actually trade their own pick and still keep the Brooklyn pick. For example, Boston can’t package their pick this year to another team and then still swap picks at the draft since they no longer own it. Like they can only trade the Brooklyn pick (after swapping).
I don’t get the appeal of PJ Tucker for the C’s. I thought we were set on guards/small forward
PJ brings defense, rebounding, and toughness to a position that the east is loaded in. PJ would be the one to guard Lebron, Jimmy Butler, Demare Derozen, Melo, and PG13. Not saying he would stop any of them but he wouldn’t make it easy either.
To me, P.J. Tucker doesn’t make sense, unless you might be losing Jae Crowder in another deal.
i feel like theres something to these constant reports of jimmy not being available..
Drummond to Boston is the latest.
Drummond retweeted IT’s eye thing, and then changed his profile pic to him waving goodbye and removed his Pistons info from his bio… :)
Oooh
Awesome
And they started following Melo on twitter or IG I forget.
For The Sake Of All The Bulls Rumors:
Trading Denzel Valentine to any team for anyone but an established star would we the most ridiculous trade in Bulls history. You don’t trade away you’re most promising draft pick since jimmy butler away as “scraps” in a trade for a player like (for example) Okafor. Chicago needs to give Valentine the ball more often then letting Jimmy Butler and D-Wade hoard the ball every possession. (even though really they are the only real shooting threats on the team) Denzel’s D-League stats 30ppg/10rpg/7apg show he has such extreme potential. #FEEDDENZEL Honestly, what do the bulls have to lose by doing so? their 7 seed spot? might as well just give the rookies more playing time and since the kings traded cousins there no chance of getting the kings pick this season they can at least develop players and get a higher seed in the draft.
“You don’t trade away you’re most promising draft pick since jimmy butler away as “scraps” in a trade for a player like (for example) Okafor.”
You do realize that Jimmy Butler was the #30 pick, right? He wasn’t a “promising draft pick.” He has SIGNIFICANTLY outperformed his draft status.