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Grizzlies Have Talked To Heat About Jimmy Butler

January 24th, 2025 at 8:28am CST by Rory Maher

The Grizzlies are “lurking” as a potential suitor for Heat star Jimmy Butler, according to Brian Windhorst and Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link), who report that Memphis has talked to Miami about Butler.

Multiple reporters have indicated that Butler’s camp has warned Memphis not to pursue him, though there hasn’t been an explicit reason given as to why. The 35-year-old makes $48.8MM in 2024/25 and could hit free agency in the summer if he declines his $52.4MM player option for ’25/26.

League executives have speculated that the Grizzlies might be interested in Butler for multiple reasons, per Windhorst and Bontemps.

For starters, they would like to consolidate some of their talent for an on-court upgrade ahead of the playoffs. Secondly, if they’re able to move off multiple multiyear contracts (Marcus Smart, among others) in a potential Butler deal and the six-time All-Star walks in free agency, they would have enough cap room to renegotiate and extend Jaren Jackson Jr. in the offseason.

Due to the declining structure of Jackson’s contract and his relatively team-friendly cap hit, a veteran extension may not be possible unless he becomes eligible for a super-max by making an All-NBA team or winning Defensive Player of the Year for a second time.

If Memphis doesn’t want to extend Butler, that could certainly explain why his representatives have warned the team against trading for him. His rift with Miami has largely centered around his desire to receive a maximum-salary extension.

Sources tell ESPN that both the Heat and Butler are motivated to get a trade done before the February 6 deadline, but there’s still a legitimate chance the stalemate extends into the summer, when more suitors and options could emerge.

Referring to the Suns‘ level of desperation as “extremely high,” Windhorst and Bontemps confirm that trading for Butler remains Phoenix’s top priority. However, it’s unclear if Phoenix’s recent draft-pick trade with Utah will increase the odds of landing Butler, since the Suns still have to find a taker for Bradley Beal and his no-trade clause.

NBA Unveils 2025 All-Star Game Starters

January 23rd, 2025 at 7:01pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The 2025 All-Star Game starters were revealed on Thursday during Inside the NBA’s pregame show and confirmed by the NBA on social media (Twitter links).

In the Eastern Conference, a pair of Knicks made the cut, with Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns – in his first season in New York – earning nods. Joining Brunson in the backcourt is Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell, while Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo secured frontcourt spots.

Lakers star LeBron James extended his all-time record to 21 consecutive All-Star selections in the Western Conference. Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander accounted for the backcourt spots in the West while Nikola Jokic of the Nuggets and Kevin Durant of the Suns joined James as frontcourt starters.

The starters are selected by a weighted voting process with the fan vote accounting for half of the final outcome. The player and media portions of the vote each counted for 25 percent. Three frontcourt players and two guards were selected from each conference.

The reserves, who are picked by the league’s coaches, will be announced on Jan. 30. LaMelo Ball of the Hornets narrowly missed out on being a starter after ranking first in the fan vote, having finished third in player voting and seventh in the media vote. The Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama also barely missed out, finishing second in media voting but fourth for both players and fans.

Unchanged: Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, De’Aaron Fox, Devin Booker, Norman Powell, Anthony Davis, Jalen Williams, Alperen Sengun, Trae Young, Damian Lillard, Cade Cunningham, Darius Garland, Tyrese Maxey, Tyler Herro, Evan Mobley and Jaylen Brown are among the names who could be voted in as reserves.

The 74th NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 16 will feature a new format, complete with a mini-tournament composed of four teams and three games. Two teams will meet in a semifinal while the other two will play in another. The victors in each of those games will meet in a final. The winner of each game is the first to 40 points.

The format change means that the 10 players named starters on Thursday won’t be the only players who actually start on All-Star Sunday. The 24 players ultimately named All-Stars will be split among three eight-man teams, with the roster’s drafted by Inside the NBA’s Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley.

The draft will air on Feb. 6 on TNT. The fourth team of eight players will be made up of the winning team from the Rising Stars event.

The four teams participating in the NBA All-Star Game will compete for a prize pool of $1.8 million. Each player on the team that wins the final will receive $125,000, while members of the second-place team earn $50,000. Players on the third- and fourth-place teams will receive $25,000.

The full voting results can be found here.

Latest On Jimmy Butler

January 23rd, 2025 at 6:12pm CST by Rory Maher

In appearance on First Take on Thursday morning (YouTube link), ESPN’s Shams Charania described Jimmy Butler‘s situation with the Heat as “ugly, bitter” and “untenable.”

Miami suspended Butler for two more games on Wednesday after he missed a team flight to Milwaukee. The flight was reportedly moved up after the Heat canceled a team practice. According to Charania, Butler planned to tell the Heat he was going to fly separately — something he’s been permitted to do in the past — but before he was able to, he was informed he was being suspended.

In the afternoon, Charania reported on SportsCenter that the Heat have talked to multiple teams about Butler over the past week, calling some of those conversations “productive,” but obviously a deal has yet to come together (YouTube link).

We have more of the latest on Butler:

The exact list of teams Butler is open to being traded to remains somewhat unclear. Some reports indicated that Butler prefers primarily to play in Phoenix while his original request reportedly also included Dallas, Houston and Golden State. In the last two weeks, varying sources said “multiple teams,” including the Grizzlies, were advised to not trade for the six-time All-Star. Now, appearing on NBA Today (YouTube link), Marc J. Spears said Butler is open to playing anywhere but Miami or Memphis.
Generally speaking, the Heat are open to accepting “pretty good players” with expiring contracts if they are unable to land a star in return for Butler, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson writes. If said players were to have an extra year on their contracts beyond this one, Miami would covet draft capital in such a move. According to Jackson, the Heat are prioritizing having cap space in the 2026 offseason when several star players like Luka Doncic could potentially hit free agency. Right now, the Heat only have about $85MM in cap committed for the 2026/27 season, giving them plenty of space to potentially add a max target.
The worst-case scenario for Miami would be if Butler opts in to his contract this offseason and the Heat are unable to find a trade partner for him, Jackson opines in the same piece. That would block the Heat from having access to the $14MM mid-level exception this summer and they’d be at $191.5MM in committed salaries, close to the first apron. This specific scenario could force the Heat to release Duncan Robinson, per Jackson, as only $9.8MM of his $19.9MM contract next year is guaranteed.
Heat coach Erik Spoelstra delivered a message to his team on Thursday amid the ongoing trade chatter, Jackson writes in another story. “The point I made to our team is get used to it,” Spoelstra said. “Get over it. This is the NBA life. This is the life we chose. If you think it’s just going to be predictable, you’re really mistaken.“
Players also chimed in on the situation, per Jackson’s story. “It’s probably not the easiest to work with someone who’s in and out in any job,” Tyler Herro said. But Herro was sure to quickly emphasize: “We love Jimmy. We love for him to be here. I love Jimmy.” Robinson, Bam Adebayo and Kevin Love had similar messages, indicating that it hasn’t impacted their play and the team is solely focused on winning.

Rory Maher contributed to this post

Magic’s Franz Wagner Available To Return From Torn Oblique

January 23rd, 2025 at 4:26pm CST by Rory Maher

4:26pm: Wagner will indeed make his return from his torn oblique injury that caused him to miss 20 games, the Magic announced (via Twitter). Additionally, Howard will be listed as available after missing the past five games (Twitter link per Beede).

12:14pm: Forward Franz Wagner has been sidelined since December 6 — a span of 20 games — after tearing his right oblique, but he’s close to returning to action for the Magic, who have listed the former lottery pick as questionable for Thursday’s matchup with Portland, tweets Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel.

Head coach Jamahl Mosley said Wagner “was able to go through shootaround (on Thursday morning) and is obviously progressing well so we’ll see what the day brings after this shootaround.” Speaking to reporters afterward, Wagner confirmed there’s a chance he’ll play tonight (Twitter video link via Beede).

“(The questionable tag) means that I might play, I might not,” the German said with a smile. “We’ll see how the day goes. But it feels really good. It was a long process and I’m not the most patient person.”

Wagner, 23, was having a breakout fourth season for Orlando prior to the injury, averaging career-best numbers in several counting stats, including points (24.4), rebounds (5.6), assists (5.7) and steals per game (1.7). He posted a shooting slash line of .465/.321/.881 in 25 contests (33.2 minutes).

On January 14, Wagner had his status changed to “return to competition reconditioning,” stating at the time that his muscle had fully healed and that he felt good, but he needed to get back in playing shape. It was the first significant absence of his career — he had only missed 13 total games in three seasons leading up to 2024/25.

Wagner’s return appearing imminent is certainly great news for the Magic, who went just 7-13 without him, including losing their last four games. Orlando is currently the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23-22. The team has been dominant when Wagner is on the court (plus-8.6 per 100 possession), but has struggled mightily (minus-5.9) when he’s not.

Orlando has dealt with significant injury absences all season. Mosley provided updates on several other injured players on Thursday, according to Beede:

Goga Bitadze (concussion protocol) did some on-court work on Thursday to see how he’ll respond, but he didn’t take contact and he’s listed as doubtful Thursday.
Both Jalen Suggs (low back strain) and Gary Harris (left hamstring strain) worked out Thursday and the team will see how they’re doing afterward. Suggs remains out, while Harris is questionable vs. Portland.
Jonathan Isaac (illness) is officially questionable, but Mosley said he’s feeling much better and will suit up tonight.
Cole Anthony is also dealing with an illness and wasn’t at shootaround, but there’s a chance he could play if he’s feeling better in a handful of hours — he’s officially questionable.
Jett Howard (left ankle sprain) is questionable. He did some on-court work at shootaround.

Brandon Miller Out For Season Following Wrist Surgery

January 23rd, 2025 at 3:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Hornets wing Brandon Miller will miss the remainder of the 2024/25 season after undergoing successful surgery to repair the torn scapholunate ligament in his right wrist, the team announced in a press release.

The No. 2 overall pick of the 2023 draft, Miller was named to the All-Rookie First Team in 2023/24 after a debut season which saw him finish third in Rookie of the Year balloting.

He was having a solid second season as well, improving his counting stats in several categories, including points (21.1), rebounds (4.9), assists (3.6), steals (1.1) and blocks (0.7) per game. Miller posted a .403/.355/.861 shooting slash line in 27 appearances (34.2 minutes).

It’s disappointing news for the Hornets, who have dealt with several injuries to key players over the past couple seasons, particularly LaMelo Ball and Mark Williams. Charlotte, which is currently just 11-29, only had Miller, Ball, Williams and Miles Bridges active at the same time in six games this season.

While it’s obviously an unfortunate outcome for Miller, it does present an opportunity for more playing time for his teammates. Nick Smith Jr., another 2023 first-round pick, has started the past three games sans Miller, averaging 14.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists while shooting 45% from three-point range (28.9 MPG).

Josh Okogie, Vasilije Micic and Seth Curry are among the reserves who could see expanded roles with Miller out for the rest of the season.

Heat Suspend Jimmy Butler For Two More Games

January 22nd, 2025 at 10:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

1o:35pm: The Heat have issued a statement (via Twitter) regarding Butler’s suspension: “We have suspended Jimmy Butler for two games for continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing today’s team flight to Milwaukee.”

4:13pm: The Heat will suspend Jimmy Butler for their upcoming two-game road trip, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).

Charania reports that Butler missed a team flight on Wednesday for tomorrow’s game at Milwaukee. He was planning to fly separately and join his teammates tonight, but Heat officials told him to stay home. The suspension will also cover Saturday’s game at Brooklyn.

A “timing element” was involved in Butler being late for the flight, according to Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel (Twitter link). The Heat canceled a practice and left for Milwaukee earlier than originally scheduled.

Butler just returned on Friday from a seven-game suspension imposed before the start of the last road trip. He appeared in three games, all at home, and drew a mixed reaction from Miami fans.

The latest suspension comes as the Heat are trying to work out a trade to get Butler off their roster and avoid further escalating an already-tense situation. He has been asking to be traded for several weeks and reportedly “tripled down” on that request during recent meetings with president of basketball operations Pat Riley and team owner Micky Arison.

The Suns appear to be the front-runners to acquire Butler, and their prospects may have improved after they picked up three tradable first-round picks in a deal with Utah on Tuesday. However, at least one more team will have to get involved in order for Butler to wind up in Phoenix, so it may take time to work out the details.

The first suspension cost Butler roughly $2.35MM in lost salary, although the players union is contesting it. The latest suspension will add more than $671K to that figure.

Bucks Haven’t Contacted Suns About Bradley Beal

January 22nd, 2025 at 8:52pm CST by Arthur Hill

There have been rumors lately that the Bucks might be interested in taking on Bradley Beal as part of a larger trade that would send Heat forward Jimmy Butler to the Suns. However, NBA insider Chris Haynes says in a Twitter video that Milwaukee hasn’t contacted Phoenix at all to ask about a potential Beal trade.

“It was explained to me that a connection between the two is nonexistent,” Haynes said, “so if Phoenix is able to acquire Jimmy Butler, it would not come via the Milwaukee Bucks taking on the star guard.”

If the Bucks aren’t involved, it could become very difficult for the Suns to find any team willing to accept Beal’s contract, which pays him $53.7MM next season with a $57.1MM player option for 2026/27. That’s a huge financial risk for a 31-year-old guard whose scoring numbers have declined during both of his years in Phoenix and who hasn’t played more than 60 games in a season since 2018/19.

Beal also has a no-trade clause in his contract, which means he has the right to reject any deal the Suns make. He recently stated that no one from management has reached out to him or his agent to discuss a possible trade.

John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 states that he hasn’t heard of any teams that have expressed interest in acquiring Beal, and there are only “a select few” places that Beal would be willing to go (Twitter link).

As a second-apron team, Phoenix can’t take back more salary than it sends out and can’t aggregate players to match Butler’s $48.8MM deal. Miami reportedly isn’t interested in Beal, partially due to the no-trade clause, so at least one more team will have to get involved to facilitate the trade.

Phoenix made a trade with Utah on Tuesday, acquiring three first-round picks in exchange for its unprotected first-rounder in 2031. There has been an expectation that the Suns would use one or more of those picks to incentivize someone to add Beal, but they may be saved for other trades if there are no takers.

No Recent Talks Between Nets, Kings About Cameron Johnson

January 22nd, 2025 at 5:39pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Kings are considered to be among the top suitors for Nets forward Cameron Johnson, but the teams haven’t engaged in trade talks for several weeks, Marc Stein reports in his latest Substack column (subscription required).

A source tells Stein that Sacramento officials currently don’t see a way to complete a deal for Johnson before the February 6 trade deadline. The Kings are pursuing deals with other teams instead of focusing on Johnson, Stein adds.

A weekend report from Jake Fischer at the Stein Line confirmed that the Nets haven’t lowered their price for Johnson, as they continue to ask for two first-round picks and a young player. Earlier this month, Stein stated that Sacramento wasn’t willing to part with rookie guard Devin Carter, and it appears that stance hasn’t changed.

Fischer added that the Cavaliers have called about Johnson, but their interest seems to just be exploratory. He points out that Cleveland doesn’t have a first-round pick that it can trade until 2031, so it’s nearly impossible to meet Brooklyn’s demands.

Stein brings up the Pacers as another team to watch in the Johnson pursuit. However, Indiana has risen to fifth in the East after a recent hot streak, and Stein questions whether the front office would want to break up the current roster in light of its success.

It’s possible that the Nets will hang on to Johnson past the trade deadline and see if better offers arise this summer. He’s in the midst of a career-best season, averaging 19.4 points per game while shooting 49.1% from the field and 41.9% from beyond the arc.

Mavs’ Lively Has Fracture In Ankle, Expected To Miss 2-3 Months

January 22nd, 2025 at 4:42pm CST by Luke Adams

4:42pm: Lively suffered a stress fracture in his right ankle and will be reevaluated in four weeks, the Mavericks announced (via Twitter).

12:20pm: Mavericks center Dereck Lively has been diagnosed with a small fracture in his right foot and is expected to be sidelined for the next two-to-three months, reports Shams Charania of ESPN.

Lively has missed the past three games due to an injury he suffered last Tuesday vs. Denver that was initially listed as a right ankle sprain. Further testing revealed the fracture in that foot, sources tell Charania.

It’s a brutal blow for a Mavericks team that is already dealing with a series of injuries to key players, starting with top scorer Luka Doncic, who has been out since Christmas Day due to a calf strain.

Dante Exum (right wrist surgery) has yet to make his season debut, while Jaden Hardy (right ankle sprain) and Dwight Powell (right hip strain) are also currently unavailable. Kyrie Irving recently missed several games due to a back ailment and a handful of other Mavs are battling day-to-day issues. After starting the season 20-11, Dallas has lost nine of its last 12 games.

Lively was a key part of the Mavs’ early-season success. His +8.1 net rating in 768 minutes of action is the second-best mark on the team, behind only Doncic (+9.9 in 785 minutes). The second-year center, who will turn 21 next month, has averaged 9.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.7 blocks in 24.0 minutes per night across 32 games (25 starts).

In Lively’s absence, the Mavs figure to lean more heavily on Daniel Gafford, who has split center minutes with Lively since arriving in Dallas at last year’s trade deadline. A recent report indicated that the club had been willing to discuss Gafford as it sought an impact perimeter defender, but I imagine that will no longer be the case.

Maxi Kleber and Powell are among the Mavs’ other options up front, with P.J. Washington also seeing some time as a small-ball center.

If Lively is able to make it back on the court within two or two-and-a-half months, he should be available for the end of the regular season and all of the postseason. If his recovery timeline is closer to three months – or beyond – he won’t have a chance to return until the playoffs, assuming the Mavs make it. They’re currently seventh in the West, with a 23-20 record.

Buford: No Timeline For Gregg Popovich’s Return To Spurs

January 22nd, 2025 at 2:18pm CST by Luke Adams

After suffering a stroke in the fall, Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is “attacking his rehab with the same resilience” that he has exhibited for decades on the team’s bench, team CEO R.C. Buford told reporters in Paris on Wednesday, according to Joe Vardon of The Athletic.

While Buford isn’t ruling out the possibility that Popovich will resume his coaching duties for the Spurs later this season, he said it’s impossible to say for sure — or to project a recovery timeline for the longtime head coach, who will turn 76 next Tuesday.

“His improvement continues to get better, (but) I don’t know that we have any way to judge the clock,” Buford said. “Predicting what’s to come is just a function of where Pop’s rehab goes.”

Popovich initially stepped away from the Spurs in early November due to what was described at the time as a health issue. The club later put out a statement announcing that Popovich had suffered a mild stroke, and he subsequently issued a statement of his own in December that hinted he planned to return to the sidelines for the Spurs if and when his health allowed.

In the meantime, acting head coach Mitch Johnson continues to lead the club and has San Antonio within striking distance of a play-in spot at 19-22. According to Vardon, Johnson described his communication with Popovich as “consistent.”

“He is watching games, still as opinionated as he’s ever been, and competitive, and what you would think — giving praise and cussing me out, all at the same time,” Johnson said, per Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press.

“Pop’s health has been the priority since the start of this and until dot-dot-dot. That’s kind of how we, and I, take the approach. We want the best for Pop and I want the best for this team and however I can help is where I’ll put my energy.”

Chris Paul also said he remains in contact with Popovich, telling the media in Paris that the Spurs coach is in touch with players via phone.

“I’m not even sure if this is public, but he calls,” Paul said. “He calls after games and I talk to him, and he tells me what he sees, and I appreciate that more than anything because he doesn’t have to do that. And he does.”

As Vardon writes in a separate story for The Athletic, if Popovich were in France on the current road trip, he likely would have taken the Spurs out to a posh Paris restaurant for the sort of “wine-soaked” team dinner he’s known for. Instead, it was second-year star Victor Wembanyama who took the lead on that team dinner on Monday after the club arrived in his native country, per Vardon.

“We talked about it — Pop had a schedule here, and he would have done something like that too,” Wembanyama said. “Doing that on the first day was important for me to welcome (teammates) and to show them, because I know if I went to any of these guys’ country or city, I would have loved to find out about about where they come from to learn to know them better because they’re they’re all good human beings. So really, it’s a real chance to share these moments together.”