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Heat Notes: J. Butler, C. Butler, Quinn, Allen, Martin

May 29th, 2024 at 2:23pm CST by Luke Adams

The Sixers aren’t the only team that would be willing to give Jimmy Butler a maximum-salary extension if they could acquire him from the Heat. League sources tell Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald that two other clubs have “made it known in league circles” that they’d also be open to trading for the star forward and then signing him to a max deal.

Butler remains under contract with the Heat for 2024/25 and holds a $52.4MM player option for ’25/26. A maximum extension would cover two years, replacing the ’25/26 option with a new $54.3MM starting salary and tacking on an extra year worth $58.6MM for ’26/27.

Heat president Pat Riley was noncommittal when asked earlier this month if the team would offer that deal, pointing out that no decision has to be made yet and hinting that Butler’s history of injury issues would make the front office wary about such a significant investment.

“It’s a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources, unless you have someone who is going to be available every night,” Riley said at his end-of-season press conference.

The Heat have shown no interest in moving Butler and he has shown no signs that he wants out of Miami — in fact, he has spoken multiple times about wanting to finish his career with the franchise. However, as both Chiang and Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel write, these rumors and leaks – which seem designed to let Butler know he has options if the Heat aren’t willing to give him the kind of deal he wants – could put added pressure on the club to address the 34-year-old’s contract situation sooner rather than later.

Here’s more on the Heat:

  • Caron Butler, who has been an assistant coach on Erik Spoelstra‘s staff since 2020, has agreed to a new four-year deal to remain in that role, agent Raymond Brothers tells Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN (Twitter link). As Chiang writes for The Miami Herald, Butler spoke last summer about having fallen in love with coaching and aspiring to become a head coach at some point down the road.
  • Miami is also working on new contracts for two other top assistants, Chris Quinn and Malik Allen, with Spoelstra having expressed a desire to keep his staff intact, according to Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link). Quinn has been linked to several head coaching openings this spring, but wasn’t hired by Brooklyn or Charlotte and doesn’t appear to be a frontrunner in the Lakers’ or Wizards’ searches.
  • In another story for The Miami Herald, Chiang takes a closer look at Caleb Martin‘s free agency, exploring what kind of deal the swingman might be in line for and whether it’s viable for the club to retain him. Martin is expected to turn down his $7.1MM player option for 2024/25 and could receive a salary in the neighborhood of the full mid-level exception ($12.9MM+), Chiang writes. Accommodating that sort of raise would likely push the Heat’s team salary above the second tax apron unless they cut costs elsewhere.
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Heat Notes: Lillard, Peterson, Jaquez, C. Butler

July 16th, 2023 at 4:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Although Heat rookie forward Jaime Jaquez Jr. played in just one full Summer League contest and less than half of a second before being shut down due to a shoulder ailment, Miami already likes what it’s seeing out of the UCLA alum.

Heat general manager Andy Elisburg raved about Jaquez’ fit during an interview on WQAM, as recounted by Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.

“I think he’s our type of guy,” Elisburg said. “I think he comes from the same kind of ethos that we think we value, with players that we value. He has that kind of competitiveness and the work ethic that you want to see.

“… You’re excited to see what he’s able to do as he takes his game and grows it. At this point in time, he’s got things he does well, things he can do better at. And the great players take the things that they can do better at, and become better at that.”

There’s more out of Miami:

  • Given how pricey the final two years of Damian Lillard‘s contract are, the Heat are currently not particularly inclined to increase their offer for the Trail Blazers point guard, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN recently revealed during an interview on the network (Twitter video link via ClutchPoints). “The Miami Heat, the team that is most motivated to trade for Damian Lillard, where he wants to end up, they don’t want to be in a situation where they’re bidding against themselves right now,” Woj said (hat tip to HoopsHype for the transcription). “They look out into the marketplace, they see teams that are – they know the market does not love the idea of paying Damian Lillard a $60MM average at 35 and 36 years old over the last two years of that deal. If this was a contract with two years left, it would be different, perhaps. So there’s no rush for either side to be real aggressive in their conversations with each other.”
  • Drew Peterson, an undrafted combo forward out of USC, has been making waves as a sharpshooter while playing for the Heat’s Summer League club. Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald wonders if the 6’9″ prospect could become Miami’s latest undrafted diamond-in-the-rough discovery. He will reportedly sign an Exhibit 10 training camp deal with the team. His size and shooting ability already appears to be intriguing the club. “Because he caught on to the team continuity and understood the concept of what we were trying to get accomplished,” assistant coach and Summer League head coach Caron Butler said. “From the spacing standpoint, playing off the other guys, the handlers, catch-and-goes, he’s done a remarkable job with that.” Across his three games with the Heat, Peterson is connecting on 57.1% of his 4.7 long range tries per contest.
  • Butler, an All-Star in his playing days, has unexpectedly fallen in love with coaching, Chiang writes in another Miami Herald story.  “I didn’t know that I was going to fall in love with the game and the teaching and all those things,” Butler told Chiang. “But it’s something that I just can’t see myself not doing now because of the connection with the players and seeing them get it and the information that you instill in them. That feeling is priceless.” After retiring from the league in 2016, Butler served as a TV analyst, first for the college game with ESPN in 2017, and subsequently for the Lakers, Wizards and the NBA at large with various networks. He joined Erik Spoelstra‘s coaching staff for the 2020/21 season.
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COVID-19 Updates: Green, Anderson, Butler, Satoransky, Nesmith, Gill, Brooks

January 2nd, 2022 at 4:55pm CST by JD Shaw

Warriors star Draymond Green has cleared the NBA’s health and safety protocols, according to Marc J. Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated (Twitter link). He’s expected to play in Monday’s game against Miami.

Green missed two games due to protocols, including Golden State’s road contest against Utah on Saturday. The Warriors still ended up winning 123-116 and currently own the league’s best record at 28-7.

Here are some other COVID-19 updates from around the association:

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Heat Hire Caron Butler As Assistant Coach

November 14th, 2020 at 4:43pm CST by Luke Adams

NOVEMBER 14: The move is official, tweets Ira Winderman of The Sun Sentinel.

NOVEMBER 13: The Heat are hiring former NBA forward Caron Butler as an assistant coach on Erik Spoelstra‘s staff, a source tells Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press (Twitter link).

Having last appeared in the NBA in 2016 and having announced his retirement in 2018, Butler has spent the last few years working as a basketball analyst. When he retired, Butler said he intended to remain involved in the game “in some form or another” — this will be his first coaching role.

Butler, 40, averaged 14.1 PPG and 5.0 RPG in 881 career regular season games between 2002 and 2016, racking up 12,430 points over the course of his 14 NBA seasons. The two-time All-Star also appeared in 65 postseason games, winning a title with the Mavericks in 2011, though he was unable to suit up for Dallas during those playoffs due to an injury.

Although Butler only spent the first two years of his playing career with the Heat, he had a significant impact in those two seasons, per Reynolds, who notes (via Twitter) that Dwyane Wade credited Butler for teaching him everything he knows “about how to be a professional.” Spoelstra was an assistant on Miami’s staff during Butler’s stint with the team, so their relationship dates back nearly two decades.

Butler will help fill the hole on the Heat’s sidelines created when veteran assistant Dan Craig left for the Clippers.

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Caron Butler Announces Retirement

February 6th, 2018 at 11:13am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran NBA forward Caron Butler has announced his retirement as a player, publishing a piece today for The Players’ Tribune to confirm his decision.

“It’s been a great ride and truly a blessing,” Butler wrote. “But everything runs its course, even good things. Today, I’m retiring from the NBA.”

Butler, who will turn 38 next month, was selected by the Heat with the 10th overall pick in the 2002 draft and spent two years in Miami before being traded to the Lakers. The former UConn standout ultimately played for seven more NBA teams, joining the Wizards, Mavericks, Clippers, Bucks, Thunder, and Pistons before spending his last NBA season with the Kings in 2015/16.

In 881 career regular season games, Butler averaged 14.1 PPG and 5.0 RPG, racking up 12,430 points over the course of his 14 NBA seasons. The two-time All-Star also appeared in 65 postseason games, winning a title with the Mavericks in 2011, though he was unable to suit up for Dallas during those playoffs due to an injury.

After joining ESPN as a college basketball analyst in the fall, Butler said today in his Players’ Tribune article that he plans to remain involved in the game even though his days as a player are over.

“Playing in the NBA was a dream — I got to spend 16 years with all of these great teammates and coaches,” Butler wrote. “It was better than I ever could’ve imagined. I may be retiring from the game, but I’ll stay close to it. I’ll be around it in some form or another. “

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Atlantic Notes: Thomas, Allen, Simmons, Russell

August 24th, 2017 at 8:47pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Celtics‘ decision to trade Isaiah Thomas is drawing anger from some former players on social media, relays Andrew Joseph of USA Today. Caron Butler blasted the deal on Instagram, saying “Celtics traded a guy who played in a game for them a day after his sister died, but y’all expect players to be loyal to the franchise, sure.”

Butler’s post drew a response from ex-Celtic Ray Allen, who alienated many teammates in 2012 when he signed with the Heat. The bitter feelings still linger, as Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce excluded Allen from a Celtics reunion in May. “But since the team does it I guess it’s just business,” Allen wrote in response to Butler’s post. “Smh!! It is just a business so when the teams do it there’s no difference when the players do it!!”

There’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Thomas family is taking a different approach to the deal, tweets Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. Thomas’ father, James, offered thanks to the Celtics for the opportunities they gave Isaiah. “There were good times in Boston,” he said. “They were good to us. They gave my son a chance to play in the NBA. It’s nothing against them. I have only good things to say. I can’t cut them. Hey, every starter that was there this year is gone except one. Maybe they did what was best for Boston, or at least they think they did.”
  • After missing all of last season while recovering from a broken foot, the Sixers‘ Ben Simmons has been medically cleared for basketball activities, according to Tom Moore of GateHouse Media (Twitter link). The first overall pick in 2016 reportedly participated in a recent pickup game in Australia.
  • After moving from the Lakers to the Nets in an offseason trade, D’Angelo Russell has bigger goals than just helping Brooklyn improve after a 20-win season, writes Anthony Puccio of NetsDaily. “I want teams to hate us,” Russell said. “We’ve struggled over the last few years in Brooklyn. Teams are used to coming in and taking nights off. I just want to rebuild that and make it a place where people come and say, ‘alright we got the crowd against us. It’s New York.’”
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Free Agent Notes: T. Jones, Celtics, Butler, Hawks

February 27th, 2017 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

Having cleared waivers and reached free agency, Terrence Jones had interest in joining the Celtics, and his camp initiated talks with the club, writes Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe. However, according to Himmelsbach, the former Pelicans big man is unlikely to land with the Cs.

While Jones is one of the more appealing options available on the buyout market, a source tells Himmelsbach that the 25-year-old is hoping to find a team that would allow him to play significant minutes. The Celtics could use a big man, but they have a fairly deep rotation and are carrying 15 players on guaranteed contracts, so Jones may not get the opportunity he’s seeking in Boston.

Here are a few more odds and ends from around the NBA related to free agency:

  • Caron Butler hasn’t played on an NBA team this season, but the veteran forward hasn’t opted for retirement yet, according to Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com, who tweets that Butler is interested in catching on with a playoff team.
  • In a conversation with TNT’s David Aldridge, free agent center Larry Sanders says that he believes he’s more mature and mentally stronger now than he was during his last stint in the NBA. According to Aldridge, Sanders has told NBA teams that he’s willing to play in the D-League if they want him to go there first.
  • The Hawks are in no hurry to sign a free agent to fill the open spot on their roster, as Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution details. “We will probably take a few days and see what happens over the next few days and maybe more,” Budenholzer said. “It’s good to have that flexibility to figure out what we want to do. We won’t rush to do anything in the next day or two.”
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Bucks’ D-League Decision Expected Soon

November 17th, 2016 at 11:48am CST by Luke Adams

The Hawks recently announced that they’ll purchase and control a D-League franchise, making them the 23rd NBA team to get an affiliate. An announcement on a 24th D-League team could come soon, according to Gery Woelfel of The Racine Journal Times. Bucks president Peter Feigin tells Woeflel that the club is expected to make a decision on a home for its D-League affiliate “before Thanksgiving.”

[RELATED: Hawks to purchase, control D-League affiliate]

As Woefel details, the Wisconsin cities of Racine, Oshkosh, and Sheboygan have been cited as the candidates to become the home of the Bucks’ potential D-League affiliate, so the chosen city won’t be far from Milwaukee. Feigin confirmed that all three locations remain in the mix.

According to Woelfel, Racine officials – including Mayor John Dickert – have been negotiating with the Bucks for more than a year about the possibility of the team’s D-League squad playing in the city. Dickert, who says that Racine native Caron Butler could get involved as an investor if the Bucks decide to move forward with the city, intends to pursue an arena project regardless of the club’s decision, since he hopes to attract a minor league hockey team.

[RELATED: D-League affiliations for 2016/17]

Over the summer, Adam Johnson of D-League Digest made a case for why the Bucks should strongly consider Sheboygan for the home of their D-League affiliate.

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Eastern Notes: Udrih, J.R. Smith, Sixers, Butler

August 19th, 2016 at 9:02am CST by Dana Gauruder

Beno Udrih has no assurances of playing time despite re-signing with the Heat, Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports. Udrih gives the club a natural point guard behind starter Goran Dragic, but combo guards Tyler Johnson and Josh Richardson will also see action at that position, Jackson continues. Udrih signed a one-year guaranteed deal at the veteran’s minimum of $1.4MM. Udrih had a standing offer from the Heat for more than a month, sources told Jackson, and turned down some other options because of his comfort level with the organization.

In other news around the Eastern Conference:

  • Free agent J.R. Smith doesn’t appear to be close to signing a contract, according to Chris Fedor of the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Cavs’ shooting guard is deferring all questions about his free agency to agent Rich Paul. Smith is expected to rejoin Cleveland and is believed to be seeking a multi-year deal worth approximately $15MM per season, Fedor continues. There’s been little interest from other teams because of Smith’s past antics, Fedor adds.
  • The Sixers will play three nationally televised games, and coach Brett Brown believes that’s a sign of progress, Brian Seltzer of Sixers.com reports. Philadelphia hasn’t had a game broadcast nationally since the 2012/13 season. “It’s really I think a statement to the way the public views our young, exciting team,” Brown said in a podcast on the team’s website.
  • Caron Butler would be interested in signing with the Knicks, tweets Anthony Donahue of SNY. During an appearance on Donahue’s “33rd and 7th” podcast, Butler said he likes the moves that New York made during the offseason. Butler, 36, spent last season with the Kings and appeared in just 17 games.

Arthur Hill contributed to this post.

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Heat Notes: Butler, Chalmers, Westbrook, Weber

July 15th, 2016 at 2:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Heat president Pat Riley reached out to Caron Butler‘s agent, but the team opted for younger players in its flurry of signings last Sunday, writes Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald. Riley’s initial call came before Dwyane Wade decided to join the Bulls, Jackson reports, and he hasn’t called since. The Kings waived the 36-year-old Butler last week. He spent one season in Sacramento and appeared in just 17 games.

There’s more news today out of Miami:

  • Riley also decided not to pursue Mario Chalmers, Jackson writes in the same piece. Chalmers spent seven full seasons with the Heat before being traded to Memphis in November for luxury tax relief. He ruptured his right Achilles tendon in March and was subsequently waived by the Grizzlies. Jackson says the Heat were concerned not only about the injury, but about how Chalmers would respond to reduced playing time as a backup for Goran Dragic.
  • Miami would be taking a major risk by trying to trade for Russell Westbrook this season, contends Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. There has been speculation that the Thunder point guard might be available because of his looming free agency next summer and the loss of Kevin Durant, but Winderman argues that the assets the Heat would have to give up in such a deal would make it less likely Westbrook would re-sign. The writer says Oklahoma City would want Dragic and Justise Winslow, which would create two big holes in Miami’s roster. Winderman doesn’t think Riley would consider that deal unless he was assured that Westbrook would stay in Miami past the 2016/17 season.
  • Briante Weber‘s aggressive defense may make him a valuable part of the rotation next season, according to Jason Lieser of The Palm Beach Post. Weber, who suffered a serious right knee injury as a senior at Virginia Commonwealth, spent most of this season with Miami’s D-League affiliate in Sioux Falls. The Heat briefly lost Weber in March when the Grizzlies signed him to a 10-day contract, but he returned to the D-League when that expired and joined Miami’s roster just before the playoffs. After playing just one game for the Heat — and seven total — during his rookie season, Weber has been making an impression in Summer League play. “He’s getting better and better at being our floor leader,” said Heat Summer League coach Juwan Howard. “They’re trying to get into him and make him uncomfortable with ball pressure and picking him up full-court, but Bri’s done an excellent job making decisions. At times he’s overly aggressive, but that’s his nature. I trust him.”
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