Jimmy Butler

Heat Notes: Robinson, Jaquez, Butler

September 16th, 2024 at 9:58pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Duncan Robinson missed nine games late in the regular season due to a back injury, then was limited during last season’s playoffs. Robinson says he’s fully recovered from that ailment as Heat training camp approaches, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald reports.

“I feel great,” Robinson said. “We took all the necessary steps, seeing who we needed to see. Not restricted in any way. Have [not been limited] for the better part of eight weeks. Playing pickup. No limitations. It’s still a focus and emphasis in terms of what I’m doing in the weight room. [But it] hasn’t given me any issues. It was a rude awakening turning 30 [this past April] and having back issues within a month. Father Time is undefeated.”

Robinson has two years remaining on his five-year, $90MM contract.

We have more on the Heat:

After losing Caleb Martin in free agency, the Heat need to fill that void by finding a new defensive stopper. Jaime Jaquez Jr. says he can assume that role, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I think obviously with losing Caleb this year, I think there’s definitely going to be a hole to be filled when it comes to the defensive side of the ball and a guy that can really go out there and stop the other team’s best player or whoever’s got it going that night,” Jaquez said. “I think my role can definitely evolve into somebody who Coach just decides, ‘Hey, Jaime I want you to go guard the best player and chase him and stop him.’ I think that’s the way my role can evolve.”
Addressing a report that the Warriors are monitoring Jimmy Butler, Winderman says he anticipates Butler’s future will continue to be a hot topic unless the Heat get off to a solid start or the forward signs an extension. However, Winderman also notes that under the CBA and its prohibitive tax aprons, blockbuster deals are more complicated and more difficult than ever.
In case you missed it, free agent forward Nassir Little is reportedly working out for the Heat. Get the details here.

Jimmy Butler Among Stars Warriors Monitoring

September 13th, 2024 at 9:15am CST by Luke Adams

After missing out on targets like Paul George and Lauri Markkanen this offseason, the Warriors remain on the lookout for stars who might become available on the trade market, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic, who said on The TK Show (YouTube link) that Heat forward Jimmy Butler is among the players Golden State is monitoring.

“Jimmy Butler’s going to be a free agent next summer, didn’t get an extension done,” Amick said. “The Warriors, as you know, have interest there and I think probably made a couple calls during the summer.”

As Amick observes, the Warriors aren’t in position to pursue top free agents due to their salary cap situation, so if they’re going to acquire a star to complement Stephen Curry, they’ll almost certainly need to do so via trade. Golden State will be hoping for the “wheels to fall off” for a would-be contender, resulting in an All-Star caliber player seeking a change of scenery, Amick notes.

Butler, who will turn 35 on Saturday, is entering what could be a contract year in Miami. Although by all accounts he remains committed to the Heat, the six-time All-Star has reportedly told the team he won’t sign an extension before next summer and will reevaluate his options next offseason, when he holds a $52.4MM player option for 2025/26.

If the Heat get off to a poor start this season, it’s possible they’ll consider the idea of moving Butler at the trade deadline, though there’s no indication they’ve seriously considered that possibility to this point.

Should Butler finish the season in Miami, there would be myriad options available to him next summer — he could re-up with the Heat (either on an extension or a new contract), he could decline his option to sign elsewhere, or he could work out an opt-in-and-trade deal that sends him to a new destination. That last scenario would be the most viable path for him to land in Golden State. The Warriors explored a similar arrangement with George before he declined his player option in June.

Amick also names Lakers forward LeBron James, Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Suns stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker as some other players the Warriors are likely monitoring. However, he acknowledges that they’re long shots and could only emerge as possible targets if they sour on their current situations.

“It’s that level of a player, where you just kind of hope that one of them starts looking out for greener pastures,” Amick said.

Eastern Notes: Pistons, Butler, Martin, Baker, Plowden

September 9th, 2024 at 6:00pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Could Ausar Thompson and Simone Fontecchio be part of the Pistons’ starting lineup? James Edwards III of The Athletic speculates that could be the case, noting that Thompson’s defense and Fontecchio’s shooting would mesh well with Cade Cunningham‘s skills and responsibilities. That would leave summer acquisitions Malik Beasley and Tim Hardaway Jr. on a much improved second unit. Edwards takes an educated guess on how the team’s depth chart will shake under a new coaching staff.

We have more from the Eastern Conference:

The Heat are unlikely to make a substantial move prior to the season, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel. Winderman doubts there will be an upcoming blockbuster deal in the league on the scale of the Damian Lillard trade, which occurred just ahead of training camps last September. Depending on how Jimmy Butler’s contract situation plays out, the Heat could do something big before the February trade deadline or just wait for Butler’s opt-out decision next offseason. Butler said early this summer he wouldn’t sign an offseason extension.
The Nets‘ G League affiliate, the Long Island Nets, traded their 2025 first- and second-round draft picks to the Iowa Wolves, the Timberwolves‘ NBAGL squad, in exchange for the returning player rights to forward Tyrese Martin last week. That could be a prelude toward Martin receiving a training camp deal from Brooklyn, according to NetsDaily.com. The G League trade opens the door for Martin to sign an Exhibit 10 contract. Martin was the most productive player on the Summer League roster whose rights weren’t controlled by Brooklyn, the story notes.
The Magic‘s NBA G League team made a trade, acquiring the returning player rights to big man Robert Baker II and a 2024 second round NBA G League draft pick from the Hawks’ G League club, the College Park Skyhawks, the Osceola Magic announced (via Twitter). The Skyhawks acquired Daeqwon Plowden‘s returning rights. Baker, 26, played five games in the Las Vegas Summer League for the Skyhawks, averaging 9.2 points and 5.0 rebounds. Plowden signed a two-way deal with the Warriors this season. Atlanta won’t be able to use those returning rights unless he’s waived by Golden State. It’s possibly a sign that the Warriors don’t plan to retain Plowden.

Nets Notes: Butler, Simmons, Johnson, Finney-Smith

September 7th, 2024 at 7:02pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler is “fond” of the idea of joining the Nets if he eventually decides to leave the Heat, sources tell Brian Lewis of The New York Post. There’s no guarantee that Butler will be coming to Brooklyn, but his uncertain status in Miami makes it a situation worth watching.

Butler holds a $52.4MM player option for the 2025/26 season and plans to become a free agent next summer. He’s currently eligible for a two-year extension worth about $113MM, but he recently stated that he won’t consider extending his contract with the Heat or any other team.

Team president Pat Riley expressed reservations about extending Butler during a press conference in May, suggesting that his limited availability makes it a risky investment. Butler missed 22 games last season and hasn’t played in more than 64 during his five years in Miami.

Even so, re-signing with the Heat remains a possibility when Butler tests the market in 2025 in hopes of landing a max contract. Lewis expects Brooklyn, which projects to have a large amount of cap space, to be among the bidders, along with possibly the Rockets and one of the Los Angeles teams.

There’s more on the Nets, all from Lewis:

After playing just 15 games last season and undergoing back surgery in March, Ben Simmons has been cleared for 5-on-5 play and should be ready for the start of training camp. Lewis reports that new head coach Jordi Fernandez has traveled to Florida to visit with Simmons and check on his recovery from a herniated disc. This is the final year of Simmons’ hefty contract, which is now a $40.3MM expiring deal.
Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith both remain trade candidates as the Nets get serious about the rebuilding process. Sources tell Lewis that Brooklyn’s front office has placed a high price on Johnson in trade talks, which explains why a deal hasn’t been completed yet. While Johnson is signed through the 2026/27 season, Lewis sees more urgency to find a taker for Finney-Smith. The 31-year-old forward has a $15.3MM player option for next season, which Lewis expects him to decline since there’s usually a strong demand for 3-and-D wings. The Nets will risk losing Finney-Smith for nothing if they don’t deal him by the trade deadline.
The Nets are hoping to expand their international presence by having their G League affiliate in Long Island play six home games in Quebec this season, Lewis adds.

And-Ones: 2025 Storylines, Media News, G. Davis

August 30th, 2024 at 12:01pm CST by Luke Adams

With few major offseason storylines left to resolve in 2024, Bobby Marks of ESPN (Insider link) takes an early look at the 2025 landscape, forecasting which stories will dominate NBA headlines next summer.

As Marks details, LeBron James will be one of the top free agents to watch for a second straight offseason, since he holds a 2025/26 player option. However, the rest of the 2025 free agent class isn’t particularly star-studded, with Jimmy Butler, Julius Randle, and Brandon Ingram among the top players to keep an eye on.

Barely any teams project to have 2025 cap room at this point, Marks notes, so high-level free agents who want to change teams may require a sign-and-trade. The one team that projects to have significant cap space is Brooklyn, so it could be a big summer for the Nets, who will be in position to be one of the league’s most active teams even if they don’t pursue top free agents.

Cooper Flagg‘s destination, the ongoing impact of the 2023 Collective Bargaining Agreement, and a 2025 rookie scale extension class headlined by Paolo Banchero are a few of the other storylines previewed by Marks.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

A pair of notable NBA news-breakers are making career changes ahead of the 2024/25 season, according to reporting from Ryan Glasspiegel of The New York Post. Shams Charania is leaving Stadium, while Chris Haynes is parting ways with TNT Sports, per Glasspiegel, who says Charania remains under contract with The Athletic and FanDuel TV, though those deals are up soon as well. As Glasspiegel points out, NBC and Amazon Prime Video will likely be seeking NBA reporters and analysts as they prepare to broadcast games beginning in 2025, so it’s possible Charania and/or Haynes could be targeted by one of those new league partners.
In other NBA media news, Grant Hill, Richard Jefferson, Tim Legler, and Jay Bilas are among the top candidates to replace J.J. Redick on the top ABC/ESPN broadcast crew for the NBA Finals, sources tell Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. It’s possible ABC/ESPN will try a two-person booth of Mike Breen and Doris Burke, but the network would ideally like a three-person broadcast team, Marchand adds.
Amazon has scrapped its plans to make a $115MM investment in Diamond Sports Group to help lift the company out of bankruptcy, as Tom Friend of Sports Business Journal reports. Friend and Evan Drellich of The Athletic explores what that lost investment means for Diamond, which still controls regional sports networks that air games locally for 13 NBA teams.
A New York judge ruled this week that former NBA forward Glen Davis can wait until October 22 to begin serving his 40-month prison sentence for fraud, Larry Neumeister of The Associated Press. That judge postponed Davis’ deadline to report to prison by seven weeks to allow him to finish a documentary film project about his life.

Stars To Participate In Farewell Game For Goran Dragic

August 17th, 2024 at 7:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

A farewell game will take place August 24 to honor Goran Dragic, who announced his retirement at the end of December, according to BasketNews.

Titled “The Night of the Dragon,” the game will be played at Stozice Arena in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Two teams will be drafted during a charity gala dinner the night before. The game is sponsored by the Goran Dragic Foundation, and tickets sold out within 20 minutes.

Among the current and former players scheduled to participate are Steve Nash, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, Dirk Nowitzki, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Luis Scola, Dejan Bodiroga, Predrag Danilovic, Nikola Vucevic and Rasho Nesterovic. Chris Bosh, Dragic’s former teammate in Miami, will attend the event but won’t play.

BasketNews reports that Jimmy Butler was originally set to appear, but had to cancel due to a commitment in China.

Dragic, 38, appeared in 946 games with seven teams during his 15 NBA seasons. He was named Most Improved Player during the 2013/14 season and was selected to the All-Star Game in 2017/18.

He’s also a Slovenian basketball legend, leading the nation to its first EuroBasket title in 2017 while earning Most Valuable Player honors for the tournament.

Heat Notes: Adebayo, Olympics, Butler, Morris

August 3rd, 2024 at 6:32pm CST by Arthur Hill

The three-year max extension that Bam Adebayo signed last month signals that it’s time for him to take over as the face of the Heat, writes Ira Winderman of The Sun-Sentinel. At 27, Adebayo represents the future of the franchise, Winderman adds, which means personnel decisions should be made based on what’s best for him rather than Jimmy Butler.

Butler will turn 35 soon and his days in Miami may be numbered, regardless of whether he chooses to pick up his $52.4MM player option for the 2025/26 season. The Heat have explored trade possibilities involving Butler, and they may be ready to focus on a younger team built around Adebayo after years of short-term veteran additions.

Winderman observes that Adebayo and Butler have rarely exhibited much chemistry, as it often seemed they were “competing for the same spots on the court.” He also points out that although Kyle Lowry was brought in on Butler’s behalf, Adebayo seemed to benefit more from having an experienced point guard running the offense. This year’s Olympics have provided more evidence of what Adebayo can do when he’s surrounded by high-level talent, Winderman adds.

There’s more from Miami:

Adebayo is displaying his versatility for Team USA, per Walter Villa of The Miami Herald, with NBC broadcaster and former Heat star Dwyane Wade noting that Adebayo is filling the same role that he did during the 2008 Games. “I got an early text from (Miami head coach and Team USA assistant Eric Spoelstra) and, for me, ‘early’ was about 11 a.m.,” Wade said during Saturday’s game. “Spo said Bam’s role on this team is similar to mine in (2008, when USA won gold). You are coming in off the bench, and your role can change every night. That’s how valuable Bam has been, playing his role very well.”
It’s unlikely that Butler will be traded before the start of the season, Winderman states in a mailbag column. He adds that the team would have needed to pursue a Butler deal around the draft or the start of free agency if it was serious about unloading him. There probably won’t be any movement on a Butler trade until at least December 15, when most free agents who signed this summer become eligible to be dealt, and nothing may happen until closer to the February 6 trade deadline.
Despite rumors of interest in Marcus Morris, the Heat are likely done with significant transactions for the offseason, Winderman adds in the same piece. The only exception may be if they can get a rotation player at the veteran’s minimum.

Heat GM Discusses Free Agency, Bryant, Roster, Burks, Butler

July 15th, 2024 at 8:29pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Heat have been relatively quiet this offseason, other than re-signing some of their own free agents. That’s by necessity, rather than by design, general manager Andy Elisburg told the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang and other media members.

The Heat’s in-season trade with the Hornets for Terry Rozier, in which they dealt Kyle Lowry‘s $29.7MM expiring contract and a future first-rounder, essentially eliminated any salary cap flexibility. That transaction put them above the first apron this summer, limiting them to the $5.2MM taxpayer mid-level exception and minimum contracts to offer outside free agents.

“The focus was going to be a little bit more on the draft opportunities and then maybe some other smaller opportunities,” Elisburg said. “Either A, retaining our own free agents, or B, the minimums or some small exception transactions. So that’s how I think we went into the summer with we’re more focused on these types of transactions, maybe not as much on these others, because we’re less likely to be able to do those kinds of transactions.”

Miami wound up re-signing Haywood Highsmith and Kevin Love via Bird and Early Bird rights, respectively, and getting Thomas Bryant back on a minimum deal. The only outside free agent signed was guard Alec Burks, who took the veteran’s minimum.

Here’s more from Elisburg’s media session:

Bryant only appeared in 38 games last season but the Heat wanted depth in the middle despite drafting another big man Kel’el Ware. “Thomas filled that space of having another center onto the roster,” Elisburg said. “You’re having to balance your various needs of the roster.”
The Heat have a 14-man roster and don’t plan on adding a 15th man, at least not until January when a prorated signing would still keep them below the second tax apron. Miami does not want to exceed that apron. “I think we don’t want to have our hands tied,” Elisburg said. “I think we want to still be flexible, so if there’s an opportunity to make an improvement to the team, so you have a little bit more flexibility to do that. I think there are some teams who are over the second apron who feel that their team is in a place to be able to do that.”
Coach Erik Spoelstra and team president Pat Riley have expressed a fondness for Burks over the years and were glad to get him at a reduced price. “It was always in my group of players in that list that came through,” Elisburg said. “So it’s been for a number of years having that conversion. So when the opportunity came this year that he was willing to come to us and willing to come to us at a minimum, we could finally get Alec Burks here.”
In a separate interview with Sirius XM, Elisburg addressed Jimmy Butler‘s contract situation. Butler is eligible to sign a maximum two-year contract extension worth about $113MM but Butler intends to play this upcoming season without signing an extension in hopes of getting a max contract next summer. He would decline his $52.4MM option for the 2025/26 season and become a free agent to make that happen. “As Pat said at his press conference, it doesn’t have to be something you do now,” Elisburg said. “You have an opportunity to do this all year long, so there’s an opportunity to do it at some point in time. And there’s an opportunity if he becomes a free agent next year to sit down and do a contract at that point in time. So there’s always an opportunity to do it.” Riley expressed concerns with Butler’s injury issues during his postseason press conference.

Heat Notes: Butler, Offseason, Johnson, Bryant, Two-Ways

July 11th, 2024 at 12:19pm CST by Rory Maher

If Jimmy Butler decides to leave the Heat when he becomes a free agent in 2025, he’ll still likely need the team’s help to join a viable contender, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald.

As Jackson explains, there are currently no playoff contenders who project to have enough cap room to sign Butler outright next summer. There are a few teams who could create enough space in 2025/26 if they make cost-cutting moves, but none fit the bill as of now.

Even a potential sign-and-trade would be tricky, Jackson observes, since an acquiring team would become hard-capped at the first tax apron, limiting further roster-building moves.

There’s no indication that Butler wants to leave Miami in the first place — the opposite has been reported multiple times. And the Heat also aren’t looking to trade Butler, a source tells Jackson.

Here’s more on the Heat:

In another story for The Miami Herald, Jackson examines what’s next for the Heat this offseason following a relatively quiet first wave of free agency. According to Jackson, the team plans to be patient and opportunistic as it waits for players to become available on the trade market. However, Miami has a fairly limited pool of assets, particularly in terms of future first-round picks, which will make acquiring a star-level talent difficult.
Rookie forward Keshad Johnson believes he’s a strong fit with the Heat and he made a strong impression in his third summer league game on Wednesday, writes Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald. Johnson, who went undrafted before inking a two-way contract with Miami, racked up 21 points (on 8-of-14 shooting), eight rebounds, three assists, three steals and three blocks in 30 minutes during the Heat’s four-point victory. “I’m a Heat culture guy,” said Johnson. “Throughout my career, I just want to keep making an emphasis that I’m willing to do everything, that I’m gritty. I just want that to be my identity. I just want to make an example of how much of a Heat culture guy that I am.”
Veteran center Thomas Bryant tested unrestricted free agency by declining his player option, but he ultimately re-signed with the Heat on a one-year deal for the veteran’s minimum. He recently discussed his free agency foray, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Me and my agent, we both talked and we thought just for us was just to look out the market and just see what was available,” Bryant said. “For us, it was never about any misfortune or anything like that. I love the Miami Heat, personally. I love the way their culture is, the coaching staff, the guys that they have around each other. It was just about, for myself as the player and everything, individually, of just what else might have been out there, what potentially could have been out there.”
Due to their proximity to the second apron, the Heat’s standard roster appears to be set for now, with 14 players under contract. However, as Winderman writes in a separate story, Miami’s three two-way spots could see some movement before the ’24/25 season begins. All three two-way slots are currently occupied, but the team also has two-way qualifying offers out to Cole Swider and Alondes Williams, Winderman notes.
[Update: The Heat have withdrawn their QOs to Swider and Williams.]

Southeast Notes: Atlanta, Young, Butler, Ware, Hornets

June 28th, 2024 at 10:29pm CST by Tristan Tucker

The Hawks‘ trade of Dejounte Murray will make the roster cheaper, more coherent, and a better fit around star guard Trae Young, The Athletic’s John Hollinger writes. However, it’s not clear whether Young remains in the franchise’s long-term plans.

While the roster might fit better together now, the Hawks have gone 161-157 over the past four seasons and don’t necessarily appear any closer to being a contender in the Eastern Conference. However, due to the original acquisition of Murray, the Spurs control the Hawks’ first-round picks for the next three drafts (unprotected in 2025 and 2027 and an unprotected swap in 2026)

That’s why, Hollinger writes, the Spurs are the most logical trade partner for any deal involving Young. San Antonio is looking for an elite point guard to pair with Victor Wembanyama, and the combined salaries of Devonte’ Graham (whose guarantee date was just pushed back), Zach Collins and Tre Jones match Young’s, Hollinger points out.

Outside of Young, offers for the likes of Clint Capela and De’Andre Hunter have been lacking, Hollinger hears from league sources, but more moves out of Atlanta are expected.

For now though, this is Young’s team and the trade of Murray allows for more roster flexibility, including unlocking the non-taxpayer mid-level exception as a result of ducking under the luxury tax line.

We have more from the Southeast Division:

Heat star Jimmy Butler is planning to play out the 2024/25 season and then opt out of his contract and hit unrestricted free agency next year, without signing an extension. While it isn’t the ideal outcome for either side, it represents a middle ground that allows Butler to bet on himself and buys the Heat time to figure out their future. As William Guillory of The Athletic writes, Miami understands Butler is the key to any postseason success this season. Still, Guillory wonders if it might make more sense to turn the page on the Butler era as the team quietly continues building a strong young core.
The Heat introduced the newest member of that young core to the media on Friday, with No. 15 overall pick Kel’el Ware making his press debut. “We feel very fortunate that we were able to get the specific player we wanted, that can complement our team, can complement Bam [Adebayo],” Heat president Pat Riley said, per the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang. Ware immediately becomes the tallest player on Miami’s roster.
The Hornets waiving Seth Curry and declining the team option on JT Thor‘s contract suggest they’re preparing to operate as a cap room team if they lose free agent forward Miles Bridges, Hollinger writes in a separate post. The Hornets could create up to $23MM in cap space if they waive the non-guaranteed contracts of Aleksej Pokusevski and Bryce McGowens.
The Hornets also introduced draft picks Tidjane Salaün and KJ Simpson on Friday. The duo represents vice president of basketball operations Jeff Peterson‘s first two pieces of his roster vision and culture. “[Salaün and Simpson] just embody everything that we want to be about,” Peterson said, per The Charlotte Observer’s Roderick Boone. “They are extremely unselfish. They work, they understand the importance of putting the time in. It’s the only way you are going to get the results that you want. They compete and they just have an amazing outlook and approach in terms of how to get better on a daily basis. So these two guys just embody exactly what we want to be about going forward.“

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