Before the Heat agreed to trade Jimmy Butler to the Warriors, those two teams and the Suns had the framework in place for a potential deal that would have sent Butler to Phoenix and Kevin Durant to Golden State, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during a Thursday appearance on Get Up (YouTube link).
When it became clear that Durant wasn’t interested in reuniting with the Warriors, the three teams pivoted. The Heat and Warriors got together to finalize a Butler deal, while Durant now appears likely to remain in Phoenix through the deadline
According to Windhorst, there was a window after the Warriors’ talks for Durant fell through for the Heat to make a play for the Suns’ superstar forward, but Phoenix sought several additional assets that Miami didn’t want to give up.
“I do think there was some interest on both sides, but in the cursory discussions, from what I understand, Phoenix was looking for a massive return for Kevin Durant,” Windhorst said. “The Heat weren’t really into that game. They had gotten comfortable with acquiring Andrew Wiggins. That was a deal they had kind of agreed to the day before.”
Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:
- Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter is a name to watch ahead of the deadline, says Chris Mannix of SI.com (Twitter link). Previous reporting indicated that the Cavaliers are talking to Atlanta about Hunter, and Mannix confirms that Cleveland is considered the frontrunner, though he suggests other teams have also called about the 27-year-old.
- Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link) has heard that the Hornets are “very open” to moving Miles Bridges, Cody Martin, and Vasilije Micic. Of those three players, Martin, who has an $8.12MM pseudo-expiring contract (next season’s salary is non-guaranteed) would likely be the easiest to move. Bridges has a pricey contract that runs through 2026/27, while Martin has more on-court value than Micic, who is on a $7.7MM de facto expiring deal.
- Having agreed to trade away Jaden Springer, the Celtics are on the lookout for a reserve wing player whom head coach Joe Mazzulla could trust more, sources tell Brian Robb of MassLive.com. Boston will likely target that sort of player on the buyout market if no trade options emerge today.
Is it OK to say this here? I am so glad the Warriors have shipped out Andrew Wiggins.
All those complaints that I have about Moses Moody can be applied to Andrew Wiggins. He jogs, he’s casual, he dribbles off his foot out of bounds and doesn’t have the best hands in the world.
Wiggins has talent and his defense is way better than Moses Moody could ever hope for but you just can’t count on the guy. He can get you 20 but he can’t get you 2. He’s just not a lion who puts his teammates on his back.
He’s a “what can I do for your coach?” “What do you need from me coach” instead of “get the hell out of the way and get me the ball.”
Wiggins is moody and Moody is Wiggins. How would you sum it up? Just like Kerr did. “he’s a beautiful soul and a wonderful man.”
Well that’s great when it comes time to split the dinner bill or divvy up the bonus checks, but when it comes to 5 AM wake up calls to work out or championship runs, I’d pay extra for a “mamba” guy than a “wonderful man” guy.
So I guess I’m good with how things worked out concerning the heat and the suns and the Warriors and this trade so far.
If the Warriors were going to make a trade, it was always going to be between Wiggs, JK or Dray. There was always an awkward fit to get all three in the game.
Sort of sucks because Wiggs’ production at his salary was always a net positive, and JK hasn’t really developed his defense yet.
I just hope they snag one additional center.
They have to bring in Nikolai Vujicic from the Bulls. It’s an absolute must at this point. Pay the first round pick, just do it.
Just curious.
Have you not seen jimmy butler behavior this season? Like none at all? Nada zilch zero?
Say what you want about Wiggins but you acquired a far worse behavior problem in butler.
If Wiggins scoring 20 or 2 and lack of work ethic drives you crazy wait till butler starts scoring 17 slowing the offense to get his and if he doesn’t start mouthing off in the media. Gonna drive you manic.
Butler’s ceiling is way, way higher. He literally led his team to the Finals by putting them on his back. Wiggins got carried by Steph, Dray, Poole, Klay and Otto in ’22.
Butlers behavior issues are also way way way way way way way worse
And with all that texted, Gary, does Jimmy Buckets make up for the combined offensive output of Wiggy-Schröder-SloMo-Waters III? Right now, I don’t think the Dubs are better off than where they were heading into yesterday. Jimmy can’t be the be-all end-all or else the Dubs are regressing, Dunleavy. And how are we gonna give Kuminga a PHAT bag of cash now without shipping out more of the core? Lots of questions and concerns at the moment, you guys.
Nah Steph and butler gonna play every minute of every game rest of the reason. Who needs a bench. Starters playing every minute of every game. No breaks.
That offense will not be replaced. The Warriors will not play games 130 to 128.
They’ll play winning basketball 105- 103. 25 points a game were shipped out of town. 98-93 wins count just as much as 132-124.
But in the playoffs, they count towards the 16 wins necessary for the ring. That’s what matters, not shipping 40 points out the door and replacing it with 18.
Chosen dud I certainly hope Jonathan Kuminga is shipped out before the deadline ends today.
I’m not confident in handing the keys over to JK when this trio is finished in two or three years. But if they can’t, I guess he’s a good bench piece and athletic young guy that will help them out.
I don’t know San Diego, a lot of that had to do with the contract.
To these guys the contract is the bragging rights. They make a ton of money outside of basketball with endorsements and all that garbage but the contract is the pecking order.
The contract is the seat on the plane And the bus and the video room. That’s why it’s important that’s why they pout. Warriors gave him that contract and gave him that respect. He’ll be fine with his attitude. Don’t you worry.
Secondary on that list is winning. It’s rings and it’s winning. Butler doesn’t want to have a tarnished image. He wants to go out and be respected like Kobe as a mamba.
He’ll get this done and he’ll do everything he can to get this done.
Wiggins goes missing for 2+ quarters a game. He turns invisible. We lose when he does this.
Gary, I have been saying this about Wiggs the whole time. He was NEVER part of any plan, he was just the ONLY player available in a KD sign and trade!
No one wants Miles the Wife Beater.