Trade Rumors: Butler, Heat, Warriors, Porter, Vucevic
Although they haven’t received anything approaching a “serious offer” yet, the Heat have indeed shown a willingness to listen to inquiries on Jimmy Butler for the first time in his six seasons in Miami, league sources tell David Aldridge of The Athletic.
The Heat are in the midst of a four-game winning streak, but are still just 13-10 thus far in 2024/25. Aldridge says the organization is “sober” about the state of the current roster, noting the team made the play-in tournament each of the past two seasons, including a surprise run to the NBA Finals in 2023 after advancing to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.
The two sides “seem destined” to part ways, according to Aldridge, who suggests Miami will likely prioritize a trade package centered around players rather than draft compensation, given the team’s “relentless” desire to contend for titles.
Aldridge says Butler’s preference would be to stay in Miami, but he wants a maximum-salary extension that Pat Riley has publicly said the team is in no rush to offer.
As Aldridge observes, in addition to listening to offers, the Heat are also likely trying to gauge what Butler’s free agent market could look like this summer, when he reportedly intends to decline his $52.4MM player option to hit free agency.
There are more trade rumors to pass along:
- NBA insider Marc Stein offers a similar report in his latest Substack column (subscription required), citing a “rising belief leaguewide” that Miami has become willing to part with Butler before the trade deadline. The majority of teams that Stein contacted believe Butler has started considering potential locations where he’d like to be traded, but one executive cautions that the Heat won’t move him without getting “fair value” in return. Stein adds that Miami officials aren’t concerned about losing Butler in free agency this summer if he’s not traded because he’ll be facing a limited market. Only the Nets currently have enough projected cap room for a maximum-salary offer.
- Of the four teams considered to be favorable landing spots for Butler, only the Warriors are viewed as having enough interest to engage in “substantive” trade discussions, league insiders tell Stein. The Rockets and Mavericks haven’t displayed any “tangible” interest in pursuing Butler, according to Stein, while the Suns would have to include Bradley Beal, who holds a no-trade clause that discouraged the Heat from trying to trade for him in the summer of 2023.
- As he previously noted in a podcast appearance this week, Stein hears that the Nuggets want to shake up their roster, and it appears Michael Porter Jr. would have to be included in any major deal. Stein wonders how much of a return Denver could get for Porter considering the limited market for New Orleans forward Brandon Ingram, who’s a similar player with better stats.
- The Bulls are hoping to land a first-round pick in exchange for center Nikola Vucevic, Stein adds. Vucevic has increased his production in coach Billy Donovan’s new up-tempo offense, but Stein warns that the Bulls might have to be willing to take any Vucevic talks all the way to deadline day if they’re holding out for a first-rounder.
Sixers’ Jared McCain Out Indefinitely With Torn Meniscus
Sixers guard Jared McCain experienced left knee soreness after last night’s loss to Indiana and underwent an MRI on Saturday, which revealed a torn meniscus, league sources tell Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Twitter link).
According to Fischer, McCain requires surgery and will be out indefinitely. Philadelphia confirmed the news in a press release (Twitter link).
The news is devastating for the 76ers, who have struggled mightily to open 2024/25 amid injuries to Joel Embiid, Paul George and Tyrese Maxey, among others. The team hoped to be in title contention, but is currently just 7-16, the No. 12 seed in the Eastern Conference.
Embiid suffered a sinus fracture on Friday as well, though it’s unclear how long he’ll be sidelined as a result of his latest injury.
The 16th overall pick of June’s draft after one college season at Duke, McCain has been arguably the most productive rookie in the NBA this fall, averaging 15.3 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 25.7 minutes per game, with a .460/.383/.875 shooting line in 23 appearances. He was named the East’s Rookie of the Month for games played in October and November.
McCain also had a very hard fall on Friday vs. the Pacers, but a concussion was ultimately ruled out after multiple tests, including one today, per Kyle Neubeck and Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter link). Obviously, that’s of little consolation now that the 20-year-old sharpshooter is out for the foreseeable future with a knee injury.
It’s unclear how Philadelphia will look to fill the void of McCain’s pace, energy and scoring, but second-year wing Ricky Council saw an uptick in minutes vs. Indiana and could receive more run going forward.
Frank Kaminsky Expected To Join Raptors 905
Free agent big man Frank Kaminsky has decided to enter the NBA G League player pool in advance of next week’s NBAGL Winter Showcase in Orlando, according to NBA insider Marc Stein, who reports (via Twitter) that the former Wisconsin star is expected join the Raptors 905, Toronto’s affiliate.
A former lottery pick (No. 9 overall in 2015), Kaminsky is an eight-year veteran who dealt with a knee injury in his last couple NBA seasons. Kaminsky, whose most recent NBA stint came in 2022/23 with Houston, spent last season in Serbia with Partizan Belgrade.
The 31-year-old signed a training camp contract with Phoenix this fall, earning praise during the preseason from head coach Mike Budenholzer. However, the Suns have the most expensive roster in the league, and chose to waive Kaminsky — and all the other players vying for the 15th standard spot — before the ’24/25 campaign began, likely due to the exorbitant luxury tax penalty for someone who was unlikely to receive minutes.
Instead of immediately entering the G League or heading back to Europe, Kaminsky decided to join Team USA’s roster for a couple of AmeriCup qualifying games in November, viewing it as an opportunity to show NBA teams he could still contribute. Robert Covington and Keita Bates-Diop were among the other notable veterans who suited up for the Americans.
According to Blake Murphy of Sportsnet.ca (Twitter link), the Raptors 905 have a high waiver priority, and while Kaminsky will likely be a short-term addition, he’ll still help the team “immensely” on offense right now. As Murphy observes, 10-day contracts begin in January, so the veteran forward/center will certainly be hoping to make a good impression.
Every season, veteran free agents who don’t make rosters in the fall choose to audition for NBA teams by playing in the Winter Showcase, which will take place in Orlando next week. Guard Devonte’ Graham signed with the South Bay Lakers on Friday.
The Teams Most Likely To Be Deadline Sellers (Part 2)
On Sunday, we published the first half of our breakdown of this season's presumed trade deadline sellers. In that article, we covered our first two groups of sellers -- teams likely to listen to inquiries on pretty much anyone, including the Nets and Bulls, and teams who should be open to discussing most, but not all, of their respective rosters, such as the Hornets and Trail Blazers.
In the second half of our two-part series, we'll dig into the potential sellers whose next steps ahead of the February 6 trade deadline are less obvious.
In the space below, we'll take a closer look at teams who should be willing to selectively trade away pieces without holding a fire sale or throwing in the towel on the season. We'll also examine several wild-card clubs whose results in the coming weeks and months will go a long way toward determining which direction they go at the deadline.
Let's dive in...
Selective sellers
New Orleans Pelicans
After winning 42 games in 2022/23 and 49 last season, the Pelicans swung a blockbuster trade for Dejounte Murray over the summer and entered this season hoping to take another step toward title contention. Instead, the club has opened the year by losing 21 of its first 26 games and sits dead last in the Western Conference.
Northwest Notes: Timberwolves, Jazz, Holmes, Murray, Nuggets
After reaching the Western Conference Finals last year, the Timberwolves got off to a rocky start to the 2024/25 season. But they’ve now won five of their last six games, with Chris Hine of the Star Tribune suggesting that increased communication off the court is one key reason for the turnaround.
Minnesota lost four straight games in November following a game in Toronto in which Julius Randle didn’t get the ball to Rudy Gobert late, upsetting the Timberwolves center. The team had a player-only meeting, and their group chat has been instrumental in starting to turn the season around.
“That’s essentially our safe space,” guard Donte DiVincenzo said. “Everybody knows whatever you say in there stays in there. More so like 90% of the time you’re joking around, messing around, sending funny stuff back and forth, picking on each other. Then when [stuff] hits the fan, that’s where most guys feel comfortable being able to express what they’re thinking.”
We have more from the Northwest Division:
- Second-year forward Taylor Hendricks is feeling the Jazz‘s “show love” motto while recovering from his season-ending leg injury. The team came together around him and has kept him in the mix despite his injury absence, according to The Athletic’s Jason Quick. “The guys reaching out to him and keeping him involved is important, just from a human level,” coach Will Hardy said. “Like, screw the team … this is a human thing. He’s part of our messed up little family.”
- Nuggets first-round pick DaRon Holmes II will miss his entire rookie season due to an Achilles injury, but he doesn’t feel like he’s missing out on the rookie experience, Bennett Durando of The Denver Post writes. Holmes is taking an optimistic approach to his injury recovery. “At the end of the day, I knew I was going to get better, and I looked at the positives,” Holmes said. “It’s kind of an advantage for me. I get to watch. Learn all the plays. And grow with all these teammates, and learn from great coaches. I get to have a great opportunity to learn in the best organization out there.”
- Jamal Murray is dealing with plantar fasciitis, the Nuggets guard said on Friday, per Durando. Murray missed Denver’s last two games due to a hamstring injury, but revealed he that wasn’t the only injury affecting him. “I just kind of went out there and said, ‘I’m gonna give it what I’ve got,’” Murray said after scoring 20 on Friday. “Fresh legs. Had energy. Feel good now. Some plantar fasciitis. Everybody’s going through something. But I’m good, man. Excited to be back.” He’s averaging 17.9 points per game this season.
- While the Nuggets have had some lows this season, including a loss to the 3-20 Wizards, they’re not fractured, in the eyes of DeAndre Jordan, Durando writes in another story. “Both good and bad,” the veteran said about the how the team is dealing with adversity. “It’s a game of runs. It’s a roller coaster out there. We’re handling it OK. We haven’t splintered. It hasn’t become a blame game. When you get to that point, I think the team is done. And we’re not there. … Just try to string together a few wins here. Because once you win, that’s all that matters.”
Pacific Notes: Warriors, Kuminga, LeBron, Zubac, Sabonis
The Warriors‘ late-game issues came to a head on Thursday in their last-second loss to the Rockets. They led by six points with just over a minute left, but let the lead slip away, culminating in a late-game call that head coach Steve Kerr called “unconscionable.”
For what it’s worth, the NBA said that call — a personal foul on a loose ball scramble that resulted in Houston getting game-winning free throws — was correct, according to ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk. The NBA said of the foul that Jonathan Kuminga reached “over [Jalen] Green in an attempt to get to the ball and pulled his shoulder down.”
Right call or not, the Warriors know they need to be better in late-game situations, Anthony Slater of the Athletic writes. Golden State ranks 27th in the league in field goal percentage in clutch situations.
“The pattern of scoreless droughts down the stretch has to be addressed or else we’ll be a mediocre team,” Stephen Curry said. “I’ll take responsibility for not being able to get us organized and not being able to finish plays. Ball’s in my hands. I got to make shots.
“But I think we can all address certain sets that can get us into better shot-creation type opportunities knowing how teams are trying to guard us, especially the last five minutes. We’re talking about it. We’re experimenting. That’ll be the defining point of our entire season. If we figure it out or if we don’t. Because we’re playing well enough to win most games. That’s a good sign and a bad sign.”
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Kuminga is getting every opportunity to break out, having being heavily featured in Golden State’s five games in December. He’s averaging 21.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per night this month. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst (Insider link), owner Joe Lacob still has an affinity for Kuminga, but it’s important to note that the two sides were far off on an extension this summer. There’s hope that clarity on Kuminga’s future will come during this stretch of increased playing time amid rumors that the former No. 7 overall pick could change hands in a trade for a star.
- Lakers coach JJ Redick said Friday that he’s not sure when LeBron James will return to the team after a second straight absence, Jovan Buha of The Athletic writes. James is out with foot soreness and was also granted an excused absence due to personal reasons. James hasn’t played since Dec. 6.
- The Clippers are getting Ivica Zubac‘s best night in and night out amid a career season, The Orange County Register’s Janis Carr writes. Zubac is averaging career highs in points (14.7) and rebounds (12.2) per game while the Clippers are 14-12 despite a current three-game losing streak.
- Arvydas Sabonis enjoyed a successful NBA career, becoming a Trail Blazers’ mainstay in the 1990s. In a feature story for ESPN, Baxter Holmes explores the connection the senior Sabonis has with his son Domantas, who is carrying the torch from his father while being a star for the Kings. “I’m very happy the Sabonis blood is there and showing [well],” Arvydas said. “My story, it ended short. Now comes a Sabonis with a long story.” I highly recommend checking out the story in full.
Southeast Notes: Wizards, Rookies, Howard, Jovic, Stevens
Just one year after experiencing the worst season in franchise history (15-67), the Wizards are on pace for just 11 wins this year. At 3-20, they rank 30th in offensive rating and 29th in defensive rating, while their average point differential (-15.9) would be the worst in league history. While the Wizards were expected to lose more than they won this year as they continue to develop their core, it wasn’t supposed to look like this, David Aldridge and Josh Robbins of The Athletic write.
A little more than a year into their multi-stage rebuild, some Wizards officials believe their future franchise cornerstones are still playing in college or high school, according to Aldridge and Robbins. Officials didn’t think the team would start off worse than last season after adding veteran talent like Jonas Valanciunas, Malcolm Brogdon and Saddiq Bey over the summer, but both Brogdon and Kyle Kuzma have missed extensive time due to injuries, while Bey is expected to miss most or all of the season while he recovers from a torn ACL.
“I try to come into seasons with not too much of an expectation, because you just never know how things can go,” Kuzma said. “I probably thought we could struggle, but never to the extent that we are in the present.”
The injuries – along with the departures of some of last season’s rotation fixtures – thrust rookies Alex Sarr, Carlton Carrington and Kyshawn George into the spotlight early and often. While those three have been bright spots, Aldridge and Robbins note that they’ve each still struggled at times.
“We are immersed in a very difficult stretch right now,” general manager Will Dawkins said. “But we remain committed to the long-term sustainability of the organization. Our staff and players have continued to work, and are growing. We will continue to stack the positive developmental gains and, at the end of the season, put proper perspective on the totality of the year. Don’t worry about the whole thing right now; at the end of the year, let’s look up and see what we accomplished. They’re getting better, and they’re still working, and that’s the main thing. What we signed up for is hard, and we know it.”
Head coach Brian Keefe endured a similar situation with the Thunder in 2008/09 as a player development coach. That team opened the season 3-29 before winning 20 of its final 50 games. According to Aldridge and Robbins, Keefe has done a good job teaching the young talent, but the club has to do more to not surrender big runs in games.
“It’s being addressed, I can tell you that,” a team source said. “It’ll look different.”
We have more from the Southeast Division:
- Getting used to the NBA’s grueling schedule is the biggest adjustment Sarr has had to make in the first part of his young career, Chase Hughes of Monumental Sports Network writes in a piece reflecting on the progress the Wizards‘ rookies have made so far. Sarr, the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft, is averaging 10.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 1.8 blocks in his age-19 season.
- Last year’s No. 11 overall pick Jett Howard is continuing to earn more minutes for the Magic while holding his own on the defensive end, Jason Beede of the Orlando Sentinel writes. Howard is averaging 4.2 points per game in 25 contests this season after making just 18 appearances last year.
- After falling out of the rotation in November, the Heat‘s Nikola Jovic worked behind the scenes to regain the trust of the coaching staff, Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald writes. He had an impressive night on Thursday, contributing 14 points and four rebounds to help Miami beat Toronto. “If you’re not playing, how do you win the day? At least you have a staff that’s looking and valuing pre-practice, film sessions, practice, shootarounds, walkthroughs and that’s how you can earn trust,” coach Erik Spoelstra said. “But then you also stay ready, so that when you get your opportunity that you can make the most of it and then you can impact winning.“
- After trading Thomas Bryant to the Pacers, the Heat will have two open standard roster spots. They’ll have two weeks after that trade is officially finalized to fill at least one of those openings, and as we outlined on Friday, Dru Smith being converted to a standard deal is one avenue the team may explore. If that occurs, Isaiah Stevens could be a natural replacement for Smith’s two-way spot, suggests Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. Stevens impressed in summer league and the preseason and is averaging 13.8 PPG and a G League-leading 10.8 APG for the Sioux Falls Skyforce.
Trade Rumors: Sixers, Pelicans, Nuggets, Early Movers, Simmons
The Sixers‘ slow start this fall hasn’t changed the expectation that Daryl Morey and the front office in Philadelphia will be active leading up to the February 6 trade deadline, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link).
Shooting and frontcourt size are among the area the 76ers may look to address, with KJ Martin viewed as the team’s most logical trade chip due to his pseudo-expiring contract, which includes a cap hit of $7.98MM for this season. However, Martin won’t become trade-eligible until January 15, so Philadelphia will have another month to assess its needs before moving forward on potential trade scenarios.
Within that same ESPN story, Bontemps and Brian Windhorst address another injury-plagued team off to a disappointing start, citing sources who say that there has been an increase in opposing scouts at Pelicans games, with rivals looking to gather intel for possible deals. While New Orleans’ plans are unclear at this point, the club is expected to at least make a move to get out of the luxury tax — its team salary is currently $1.4MM above that threshold.
Brandon Ingram, of course, is considered a potential trade candidate, but his $36MM+ cap hit will complicate trade talks. According to Bontemps, several sources have recently told ESPN that they’re not sure whether anyone making more than $20-25MM will be dealt during the season.
Here are a few more trade-related notes and rumors from around the NBA:
- The Nuggets are interested in making a trade to upgrade their rotation and “know they need a shake-up move of some sort,” but will be hard-pressed to find an appealing deal due to their position relative to the tax aprons and their lack of movable contracts, NBA insider Marc Stein said during an appearance on DNVR Sports (Twitter video link). “It’s been painted to me as eager. They are eager to make a move,” Stein said. “(But) the reality is if they don’t involve (Michael) Porter (Jr.), the optionality there is extremely limited.”
- While most in-season deals are unlikely to be completed until much closer to the February 6 trade deadline, Jake Fischer (Bleacher Report video link) identifies the Lakers and Bucks as teams who could be motivated to act sooner rather than later on the trade market, adding that the Knicks are also “still sniffing around on what to do for their center depth.”
- In a separate video clip, Fischer explores whether the Nets could realistically trade Ben Simmons and his $40MM+ expiring contract, suggesting that a team seeking 2025 cap room might be able to incentivize Brooklyn to take on multiyear salary in exchange for Simmons by attaching an intriguing young player and/or draft assets.
- Fred Katz of The Athletic takes a closer look at several of the CBA and trade rules – new and old – that are expected to make it more challenging than ever for teams to pull off trades this season.
Sixers’ Joel Embiid Sustains Sinus Fracture
10:03pm: Embiid had been diagnosed with a sinus fracture, according to the Sixers, who say he’ll be evaluated further this weekend and his status will be updated as appropriate (Twitter link via Neubeck).
9:50pm: Sixers center Joel Embiid exited Friday’s loss to Indiana just before halftime after being struck in the face by Pacers wing Bennedict Mathurin and didn’t return in the second half, per The Associated Press.
Mathurin and Embiid were battling for a rebound under the Sixers’ basket when Mathurin’s left forearm and elbow made hard contact with the the right side of Embiid’s face and the bridge of his nose (Twitter video link via Bleacher Report). He fell to the floor and held his face in pain for a few moments before walking to the locker room.
The Sixers announced at the start of the third quarter that Embiid had been ruled out for the rest of the night and would undergo further testing to assess the severity of the injury, per Derek Bodner of PHLY Sports (Twitter links). As Bodner observes, The former MVP has a history of facial injuries, having sustained orbital bone fractures on both the left side of his face (in 2018) and the right side (in 2022). He also dealt with Bell’s palsy during last season’s playoffs.
Sixers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters after the game that Embiid was still being tested to determine whether there are any fractures in the area where he was hit (Twitter link via Bodner). Even if X-rays come back clean, Embiid could end up in the NBA’s concussion protocol, meaning he’d have to pass a series of tests before being cleared to return to action, Bodner tweets.
Friday’s contest was just the sixth of 23 Sixers games that Embiid has played this season. He has missed time due to left knee swelling and was also suspended three games for a locker room run-in with a reporter.
Philadelphia will be back in action on Monday in Charlotte, then won’t play again until hosting the Hornets next Friday, so if Embiid’s injury turns out to be minor, he’ll have plenty of recovery time in the next week. The 76ers figure to provide an update on his status at some point this weekend.
Sixers guard Jared McCain also suffered an apparent head injury when he hit his head on the floor during the second half on Friday, but he cleared the NBA’s concussion protocol and was able to return to the game (Twitter link via Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports).
And-Ones: Top Front Offices, Daniels, NBA Cup, Rookies
Sam Presti and the Thunder were voted as the NBA’s best front office by a panel of 40 executives (team presidents, general managers, VPs, and assistant GMs) across the league who were polled by Sam Amick, John Hollinger, and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic.
As The Athletic’s trio explains, each respondent picked their top five NBA front offices and points were awarded in the same way they are in the MVP vote – 10 points for first place, seven points for second, five points for third, three points for fourth, and one point for fifth – in order to determine the rankings. The only rule was that execs couldn’t vote for their own team.
The Thunder were a runaway winner with 354 points, showing up on 39 of 40 total ballots and earning 29 first-place votes. The Celtics (250 points; nine first-place votes), Heat (114 points), Grizzlies (64 points; one first-place vote), and Timberwolves (54 points; one first-place vote) rounded out the top five.
A total of 21 front offices received at least one vote. The nine who didn’t were the Lakers, Suns, Kings, Trail Blazers, Pelicans, Bulls, Pistons, Hornets, and Hawks.
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Dash Daniels, the younger brother of Dyson Daniels, has committed to joining the Melbourne United as part of the Australian National Basketball League’s Next Stars program, report Shams Charania and Jonathan Givony of ESPN. The younger Daniels, who is considered one of the top international prospects of the 2026 draft class, is considered a standout defender like his brother, having averaged a tournament-high 3.6 steals per game at this year’s FIBA U17 World Cup.
- NBA executive VP of basketball strategy Evan Wasch referred to Las Vegas as a “fantastic home” for the NBA Cup semifinals and final, but indicated this week in a Zoom call that the league isn’t necessarily committed to Vegas as the in-season tournament’s long-term host. “We’re very open to all sorts of different formats for the future,” Wasch said, per Mark Medina of Sportskeeda. “That could mean taking the tournament on the road. It could mean taking it to different markets in the U.S. It could mean exploring international markets. It could mean, for example, having the semifinals in home markets like we have for the quarterfinals to build into the local fandom and exciting arena atmospheres. I would say everything is on the table for the future.”
- While most of the top picks in the 2024 draft haven’t come flying out of the gate this fall, there are plenty of second-rounders and undrafted free agents from the ’24 class who are making positive early impressions. John Hollinger of The Athletic highlights several of them, including Jazz forward/center Kyle Filipowski, Suns big man Oso Ighodaro, and Grizzlies wing Jaylen Wells.
- The Athletic’s NBA writers identified the biggest need for all 30 teams, with good health coming up for a handful of clubs, including the Sixers, Bucks, and Magic.