Rockets Owner: We’d “Love To Have” Jimmy Butler
While the Heat are regarded as the most serious suitor for Jimmy Butler, the Rockets have also been cited as one of the teams most aggressively looking to acquire the All-NBA wing from the Timberwolves. In a conversation with Steven Godfrey of SBNation.com, Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta confirmed that his club would like to trade for Butler – a Houston native – if the price is right.
“We would love to see Jimmy come home to Houston,” Fertitta told Godfrey. “It’s not a financial decision, it’s an assets decision on our part. We’ve got a great basketball team. We think we’re as good as anybody in the league. We’re not going to give up unreasonable assets, to break up this team, to get Jimmy Butler. But we would love to have him.”
The Rockets were said late last month to be making a strong effort to land Butler, though a report last week suggested that the Wolves may be reluctant to send the 29-year-old to Houston, since doing so would help create another super-team in their conference. It’s also not clear what kind of price the Rockets would be willing to pay for Butler — Minnesota would likely ask for Eric Gordon, P.J. Tucker, and draft picks.
Fertitta’s comments – which appear to have been made last month, based on Godfrey’s timeline – probably won’t change the Butler equation at all, but they could result in a fine for the Rockets owner. Executives and representatives for other NBA teams have been hit with tampering penalties for far more innocuous comments about rival players.
Butler Meets With Thibodeau, Reiterates Trade Request
Jimmy Butler has returned to Minnesota, but he doesn’t appear any more eager to get back on the court for the Timberwolves. According to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic (via Twitter), Butler met with head coach Tom Thibodeau on Monday and reiterated his request to be traded.
The latest meeting between Thibodeau and Butler essentially puts the two sides in the same position they were in three weeks ago, when the All-Star swingman initially made his trade request in a sitdown with the Wolves’ president of basketball operations. Since then, Minnesota has engaged a number of teams around the NBA in trade talks, but has yet to find a suitable deal despite a few promising leads.
The NBA regular season is set to get underway a week from tonight, so the situation may come to a head in the coming days. Reports throughout the process have suggested that Thibodeau wants to keep Butler, and the 29-year-old seems likely to report to the team before forfeiting any game checks. However, the Wolves know Butler has no plans to stick around long-term in Minnesota, and bringing him back to start the season would only prolong an uncomfortable situation.
The Heat, Rockets, and Clippers are among the teams that have been most aggressive in pursuing Butler, though a Monday report suggested there were no active talks happening between the Timberwolves and Clips, who have refused to offer up Tobias Harris. Minnesota appeared multiple times to be nearing a deal with Miami, but those negotiations reportedly fell apart again over the weekend, with a Heat official referring to the Wolves’ asking price as unreasonable.
Latest On Jimmy Butler Trade Saga
It has now been 19 days since word of Jimmy Butler‘s trade request was leaked, and despite pressure from Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau, Butler has “never wavered” on his desire to be moved, sources tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. According to Krawczynski, Butler has dined with teammates and sent text messages of encouragement to players like Taj Gibson and Josh Okogie, but remains determined to leave Minnesota, preferably before the season begins.
If the Timberwolves are unable to complete a deal soon, Butler may “begrudgingly” report to the team in advance of the regular season, says Krawczynski. Despite not reporting to Minnesota so far, Butler isn’t expected to forfeit pay checks once the season begins, even if his return would create an awkward situation for him and his teammates.
Here’s more on the Butler saga:
- While trade talks between the Timberwolves and the Heat – and other teams – have hit a stand still at various times in recent weeks, those discussions are still ongoing, says Krawczynski. While some potential trade partners can perhaps afford to wait and see if they can sign Butler during 2019’s free agent period, clubs like the Heat and Rockets are under more pressure to pull off a trade, since they won’t have cap room next summer.
- The Heat now appear willing to include Josh Richardson in a potential deal for Butler, but the Clippers haven’t relented on Tobias Harris, according to Krawczynski. A report last week indicated that the Clips didn’t plan to trade Harris, and nothing has changed on that front — L.A. hasn’t put its veteran forward in any offers for Butler, per The Athletic. There are “no active talks” between the Timberwolves and Clippers, Krawczynski adds.
- The Timberwolves have “quietly pushed back” on the idea that they deserve the blame for a deal not being completed yet, writes Krawczynski. The Wolves insist they don’t feel obligated to accept a below-market offer for Butler just because the regular season is approaching.
- Within his Sunday report on the talks between the Heat and Timberwolves, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski suggested that the Heat’s apparent willingness to pay Butler a five-year deal at or near the maximum salary has contributed to the swingman’s enthusiasm for a trade to Miami.
- The Heat had been looking to involve a third team in the Butler talks to take on an unwanted contract – perhaps Dion Waiters‘ deal – but incentivizing that third team with draft picks became one of the road blocks to getting something done, league sources told Wojnarowski.
New York Notes: Knicks, Butler, Kanter, Nets
Jimmy Butler‘s trade request was made public just two days after Knicks president of basketball operations Steve Mills spoke to fans about building the roster “the right way” and hanging onto the team’s future first-round picks. Since Butler’s initial short list of preferred destinations included the Knicks, there was some initial uncertainty about whether Mills would stick to his public stance or whether the club would get involved in the Butler sweepstakes.
Nearly three weeks later, we appear to have our answer. Within his latest report on the Butler saga, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski wrote that the Knicks “never called” the Timberwolves about the All-Star swingman. Reports have suggested that upwards of 25 teams have at least inquired on Butler, so the fact that the Knicks never even made a call is a clear indication that they’re sticking to their guns on building the team “the right way.”
Here’s more on the NBA’s two New York teams:
- As Trey Burke, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Frank Ntilikina vie for the Knicks‘ starting point guard job, no player has separated himself from his competition during the preseason, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. As a result, head coach David Fizdale has yet to finalize any lineup decisions. “What ends up coming out of it is what fits the best,” Fizdale said. “All these guys are competing and nobody is flying out in front. Ultimately the final decider may be what combinations work the best.”
- Enes Kanter is just 26 years old and has only played in New York for a single season, but the big man is already something of an “elder statesman” in the Knicks‘ locker room, according to Steve Popper of Newsday, who explores Kanter’s role as a leader.
- The Nets‘ odds of landing Kyrie Irving and/or Jimmy Butler in 2019 free agency appear to be dwindling significantly, prompting Brian Lewis of The New York Post to explore the team’s potential Plan B.
- In an interesting piece, NetsDaily outlines the impact that a corporate decision by Spanish club Barcelona had on a pair of Nets draftees.
Texas Notes: Butler, Capela, Walker, Doncic
The Rockets haven’t given up hope on trading for Jimmy Butler, but they’re planning for the season with their current roster, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. Houston has been among the most persistent suitors for Butler, but hasn’t come close to meeting the Timberwolves’ asking price, which reportedly remains very high.
The Rockets’ front office is skeptical that Minnesota is serious about dealing away Butler, Amick adds. There is a belief that Wolves coach/executive Tom Thibodeau still hopes Butler can be convinced to stay despite his public trade request and the ongoing tension in the locker room. This comes on the heels of a similar report out of Los Angeles that the Clippers have tried to make a deal and objections from Miami about Minnesota’s asking price.
There’s more NBA news from the Lone Star State:
- His teammates are now calling him “Swiss Bank,” but Rockets center Clint Capela insists he won’t be changed by the five-year, $80MM contract he signed this summer, relays Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. A restricted free agent, Capela was hoping to receive a maximum or near-max offer sheet. Although that never came and negotiations dragged on for nearly a month, he wound up with a sizable deal to stay in Houston. “The money is not weighing him down, I can tell you that,” coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He’s been great. I think he looks about how he looked halfway through the year.”
- The torn meniscus that is expected to keep Spurs rookie Lonnie Walker out for six to eight weeks is the second one of his career, notes Jeff McDonald of The San Antonio Express News. He suffered the same injury last July before his freshman season at Miami and was ready for the opening game in November. Walker will have knee surgery Monday and a more exact timetable will be set for his return.
- Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic has drawn rave reviews during the preseason, but he needs to cut down on turnovers, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Doncic has given the ball up eight times in 60 minutes of action, with four of those coming on traveling calls. “The behind the back [passes] and all that is good when it goes well,” coach Rick Carlisle said. “He threw one of them to somebody over in the second row one time. We’ve got to correct that. He’s adapting to the different ways they call traveling in the NBA. In Europe, they had a different interpretation of it.”
Heat Official: Price Too High For Butler
Jimmy Butler trade talks between Miami and Minnesota have fallen apart again, and an unidentified Heat official tells Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald that the Timberwolves are asking way too much in return.
The source says the Wolves have unreasonable expectations and joked that they want “the first born of all our kids.” He added that a deal could still be completed if Minnesota eases up on some of its demands.
Jackson hears that the Wolves are seeking several of Miami’s most valuable assets, a list that includes Josh Richardson, Bam Adebayo, Goran Dragic, Kelly Olynyk, Justise Winslow and the Heat’s No. 1 pick for 2019. Miami refused to make Richardson available at first, but has changed its mind, a source tells Jackson.
The Heat would like to find takers for Dion Waiters, Hassan Whiteside and Tyler Johnson, but Waiters’ injury history and the huge contracts for Whiteside and Johnson make them difficult to move. The Timberwolves apparently don’t have any interest in those players, but may be willing to take on some salary for the chance to unload backup center Gorgui Dieng, who is owed more than $48MM over the next three seasons.
The Heat have offered Dragic to Minnesota, according to Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Adrian Wojnarowski, his ESPN colleague, has said Minnesota is willing to accept some protections on Miami’s 2019 first-rounder.
The Heat have been the most aggressive team in trying to acquire Butler since he issued a trade request last month. They are also reportedly Butler’s preferred destination, although the list he gave to Wolves management included the Knicks, Nets and Clippers.
Jackson also relays a tweet from ESPN’s Stefano Fusaro, who claims Butler’s level of frustration with Minnesota’s front office has reached “an all-time high.” Many teams who were once interested in Butler have become skeptical that the Wolves really want to get a deal done.
Heat-Wolves Trade Talks Collapse Again
11:28am: The Heat have been willing to include Josh Richardson in potential deals with the Wolves, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link). However, he adds that Minnesota doesn’t appear to be close to a trade involving the All-Star forward.
10:22am: The Heat and Timberwolves were close to a Jimmy Butler trade this weekend, but negotiations have “fractured,” tweets ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Owners from both teams were involved in trade talks and reached an agreement they were prepared to finalize, but the deal fell apart when Minnesota asked for more, sources tell Wojnarowski. The Wolves shared Butler’s medical records with the Heat, including the condition of his right wrist following offseason surgery.
Wojnarowski doesn’t provide any details about what other players or draft picks would have been included in the proposed deal.
The Wolves haven’t gained traction with any other organization since Butler made his trade request last month, Wojnarowski adds (Twitter link). Nearly all the teams that originally expressed interest have backed off because of Minnesota’s asking price and a belief around that league that Butler will wind up in Miami.
Coach/executive Tom Thibodeau is reportedly hoping to patch things up with Butler and keep him on the team, but owner Glen Taylor hasn’t changed his orders to the front office to work out a trade, according to Wojnarowski.
Butler hasn’t practiced with the team since training camp opened. Although he hasn’t wavered in his desire to be traded, there are reports that he won’t sit out regular season games if his wrist has recovered enough for him to play.
Wolves, Clippers Continue To Discuss Jimmy Butler
While the Heat have long looked like the favorites in the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes, Miami isn’t the only team talking to the Timberwolves. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Wolves and Clippers have had ongoing discussions about a Butler trade.
[RELATED: Wolves tell teams to improve offers for Butler]
The Timberwolves have asked for multiple players and picks in conversations with the Clippers, and would prefer to land Tobias Harris in any Butler deal, sources tell Haynes. Minnesota’s asking price has thus far been deemed too high for the Clippers, who don’t plan to trade Harris, Haynes adds.
Some details in Haynes’ report echo what we’ve heard in previous stories about the Timberwolves’ trade discussions — the Yahoo Sports scribe suggests that the Wolves’ front office “hasn’t fully engaged” the Clippers’ pitches. Other reports on Butler have conveyed similar sentiments on Minnesota’s apparent unwillingness to actively engage potential trade partners.
As Haynes writes, there’s a belief that Tom Thibodeau is still holding out hope that he can convince Butler to report to the team and rescind his trade request, despite Thibodeau’s public insistence that the Wolves are working on making a deal. Minnesota’s head coach and president of basketball operations told reporters today that trade talks are “ongoing,” as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press relays.
The Clippers were initially named as one of the teams on Butler’s short list of preferred destinations. The team will clear a significant amount of salary from its books at the end of the 2018/19 season, and could have room for a second maximum-salary free agent even it acquires Butler.
In other Butler news, Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link) hears from a league source that the Bucks haven’t had any “substantive” talks with Minnesota about Butler. No players were put on the table and there’s no ongoing dialogue between the two sides at the moment, Velazquez adds. Milwaukee had been named as a potential dark horse Butler suitor early in the process.
Kyrie Irving Plans To Re-Sign With Celtics
Celtics guard Kyrie Irving said at a team event on Thursday that he plans to re-sign with Boston once he reaches free agency in the summer of 2019, per Kristen Ledlow of NBA TV (Twitter link). The Celtics’ official Twitter account posted a video of the All-Star guard making the announcement to fans.
Irving, who is entering his second season as a member of the Celtics, has also communicated his desire to stick around long-term to team ownership in recent weeks, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic (Twitter link).
Armed with a player option for the 2019/20 season, Irving is widely expected to turn down that option and ink a new deal next July. His free agency is still nine months away and it’s unlikely that he’ll sign an in-season extension, so the Celtics’ level of success this season could alter his future decision, but for now he appears committed to the franchise.
Because the Celtics hold his Bird rights, Irving will be eligible to sign a five-year deal worth up to a projected $189.66MM with the club next summer. It’s not clear if Boston will put that five-year max offer on the table, but any lucrative new contract for Irving would create uncertainty about Terry Rozier‘s future with the organization — Rozier will be eligible for restricted free agency in 2019, and the C’s would be investing heavily in the point guard position already with long-term deals for Irving and Marcus Smart.
Over the offseason, there had been rumors that Irving was interested in teaming up with Jimmy Butler once both players hit the free agent market in 2019, but The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor indicates (via Twitter) that those reports were overblown. Alex Kennedy of HoopsHype suggests (via Twitter) that those whispers were coming out of Butler’s camp.
Boston, led by Irving, is expected to be a lead contender for the NBA title this season. Irving was traded to the team in 2017 after spending six seasons with the Cavaliers, winning a championship in 2016 alongside fellow All-Star LeBron James. In his first season with the C’s, Irving played in 60 games last season, averaging 24.4 points, 5.5 assists and 1.1 steals per contest
Wolves Tell Teams To Improve Their Offers For Jimmy Butler
The Timberwolves continue to focus on the Heat in Jimmy Butler trade talks and have informed other interested teams over the past 24 hours that their offers aren’t good enough, reports Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN. Minnesota plans to hold onto Butler until it gets a deal it likes.
Miami has been close to working out a trade for Butler over the past several days and pushed the Wolves’ front office for a decision on its latest offer today, sources tell Wojnarowski. Butler reportedly wants to join the Heat and would be willing to re-sign with the organization when he opts out of his current deal next summer. He has also expressed interest in the Clippers, Nets and Knicks, who should all have enough money next year to offer a maximum deal to another free agent.
Minnesota has focused on Bam Adebayo, Josh Richardson and a protected first-rounder for 2019 in trade talks, Wojnarowski adds. The Wolves would also like to shed the contract of Gorgui Dieng, who is owed more than $48MM over the next three seasons. A larger deal involving more players or additional teams may be necessary to make the trade work.
The Rockets remain aggressive in their pursuit of Butler, even though they are already well into luxury tax territory. Like Miami, Houston won’t have cap room next summer and has no hope of acquiring Butler without a trade.
Butler hasn’t joined the Wolves for training camp, but coach/executive Tom Thibodeau plans to appeal for him to return when the team returns from its West Coast trip tomorrow, according to Wojnarowski. Butler still has soreness in his wrist following offseason surgery and hasn’t made a decision about when he might rejoin the team if no deal gets done. Sources told ESPN he won’t miss regular season games if he is healthy enough to play.
Butler has been working out at Minnesota’s practice facility and has remained in contact with several of his teammates.