Jimmy Butler

Warriors Looking To Make ‘Significant’ Trade?

January 30th, 2025 at 4:18pm CST by Rory Maher

Despite an impressive win over Oklahoma City on Wednesday, the Warriors‘ front office seems realistic about the state of the team’s roster and is prepared to make a “significant” deal ahead of next week’s trade deadline, Brian Windhorst of ESPN reported on NBA Today (YouTube link).

“This is not really a replicable situation and that’s one of the reasons why you keep hearing the Warriors’ names in trade talks,” Windhorst said Thursday (hat tip to RealGM). “And I know a couple of weeks ago Steph Curry said, ‘We don’t need to do anything desperate’ and all of a sudden they were out.

“I’m telling you, in the last few days, I hear the Warriors are dipping their toes back in the trade market to make a significant move. And just not necessarily for some of the names you’ve heard in the past. I think everybody is kind of riding the fence here, not sure which way this team goes.”

Anthony Slater and Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic confirmed on Wednesday that Golden State had some new discussions with Miami about Jimmy Butler, though they cautioned that the Warriors had reservations about trading for the 35-year-old. According to Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports, both Curry and head coach Steve Kerr are wary about Butler’s possible fit in the locker room.

Slater and Thompson also revealed that the Warriors were more intrigued by Bulls star Zach LaVine than Butler. They still have reservations about his injury history and the players they’d have to give up to acquire him, but view LaVine as a better culture fit — he’s also six years younger than Butler. Slater and Thompson identified Bulls center Nikola Vucevic as a “secondary” target.

K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Sports Network hears the Warriors are actively engaged in trade talks with several teams and are evaluating multiple scenarios, with LaVine and Vucevic being two of them (Twitter link). Johnson points out (via Twitter) that Kerr was an assistant coach with Team USA in 2021 when LaVine helped the Americans win the gold medal, later praising him for the way he accepted his role.

“He just got it. He understood what the team needed,” Kerr said.

Warriors Rumors: LaVine, Butler, 2025 Pick, Vucevic, Tax

January 29th, 2025 at 4:25pm CST by Luke Adams

Having reported at the start of the month that the Warriors were unlikely to pursue Heat star Jimmy Butler, Anthony Slater of Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic reiterate that there was “zero push” at any level of the organization to go after Butler at that time due to concerns about the price and his fit.

However, Slater and Thompson confirm that Golden State has some renewed interest in the 35-year-old now that Miami’s asking price has dropped, though they caution that team sources have downplayed the Warriors’ involvement in the Butler sweepstakes.

The drama Butler has caused in Miami is “not lost on this locker room” in Golden State, according to The Athletic’s reporters, who say that Bulls guard Zach LaVine might be of more interest to the Warriors if the front office decides to make a run at a maximum-salary player.

LaVine is several years younger than Butler and his cap hit is a few million dollars lower. There’s also a sense that he’d be a good culture fit and a belief that the Warriors need a second legitimate scoring threat to complement Stephen Curry, Slater and Thompson write.

On the other hand, LaVine’s longer-term contract and history of health issues make him a risk, and the Warriors have concerns about what they’d have to give up to match salaries for a player like LaVine or Butler. Andrew Wiggins ($26.3MM), an important two-way contributor, would likely have to be involved, and potential trade chips on expiring contracts like Gary Payton II ($9.1MM) and Kevon Looney ($8MM) have been valuable locker-room presences, per The Athletic.

Here’s more on the Warriors:

Golden State is willing to move a protected form of its 2025 first-round pick in the right deal, according to Slater and Thompson, who hear from league sources that the Warriors aren’t enamored with the prospects expected to be on the board in the second half of the first round. Moving a lottery-protected 2025 first-rounder would allow Golden State to either convey the pick in June and then dangle future first-rounders (starting with 2026) during the offseason or – if the ’25 pick lands in the top 14 – give the front office a valuable asset in a top-heavy draft to use or trade this summer.
Although it’s not their top priority, the Warriors are mulling the idea of acquiring a stretch center, The Athletic’s duo says. Bulls center Nikola Vucevic is viewed as a “secondary” target, with varying opinions within the organization about how much he’d help. For what it’s worth, Vucevic considers Golden State a desirable landing spot if Chicago trades him, per Slater and Thompson.
Ducking out of luxury tax territory this season isn’t mandatory, with the Warriors prioritizing present and future on-court improvements, team sources tell The Athletic. If the club ends up getting out of the tax as a result of a trade, it would be viewed as an “added benefit.” Golden State is currently operating nearly $6MM over the tax line.

Trade Rumors: Butler, George, Lakers, Kessler, Turner, Raptors

January 29th, 2025 at 4:02pm CST by Luke Adams

Within a look at the clubs who could potentially get involved in a multi-team Jimmy Butler trade, Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel adds the Sixers to the list of possible facilitators.

Given the contracts on their books, it’s hard to see how the 76ers could realistically get involved unless Paul George is an outgoing piece, since Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey aren’t going anywhere, no one else on the roster makes more than $8.2MM, and the club isn’t well positioned to absorb salary.

For what it’s worth, Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports (Twitter video link) recently broached the possibility of Philadelphia reacquiring Butler in a deal that sends out George, noting that Embiid had interest in the idea of reuniting with Butler before the Sixers signed George.

However, Goodwill added that the Sixers told George they wouldn’t trade him in the first year of the four-year contract he signed in July. Even if they were willing to do so, I think George’s value has probably taken a significant hit since the summer based on how the first half of the season played out, so I’m skeptical about how much interest the Heat or another team would have in taking on his long-term max deal.

Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:

On the heels of Anthony Davis declaring publicly that he thinks the Lakers need to add another big man, the team has made acquiring a center an even greater priority, team and league sources tell Jovan Buha of The Athletic. With that in mind, Buha runs through a number of targets who might make sense for Los Angeles, starting with Jazz center Walker Kessler. Buha views Kessler as an ideal fit in L.A. and advocates for the Lakers to aggressively pursue him, noting that the cost would likely be two first-round picks or an unprotected first-rounder and rookie Dalton Knecht.
Within the same Athletic article, Buha writes that the Lakers have “long coveted” Pacers big man Myles Turner and explains that some people view Turner as “sneakily gettable” because it’s unclear whether Indiana is prepared to pay him $30MM per year in free agency. Still, even if he’s available, acquiring Turner would be challenging, given that other teams would have interest and the postseason-bound Pacers would likely want a starting-caliber center in return, Buha adds.
Dustin Dopirak of The Indianapolis Star (subscription required) takes a closer look at the Turner dilemma facing the Pacers, breaking down the case for keeping and re-signing him and the case for trading him.
Josh Lewenberg of TSN.ca (Twitter link) suggests not reading too much into the report linking the Raptors to Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. As Lewenberg explains, Toronto always does its due diligence when a star player becomes available and is likely doing the same with Kings guard De’Aaron Fox, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the team is serious about acquiring either player.

Trade Rumors: Nets, Fox, Butler, Bucks, LaVine, Lakers, Turner

January 29th, 2025 at 7:25am CST by Luke Adams

The Nets have interest in Kings guard De’Aaron Fox and view him as a potential trade target, but they haven’t given up on the idea of eventually landing Giannis Antetokounmpo, according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post, who describes the Bucks star as Brooklyn’s “white whale.”

A desire to preserve their most valuable trade assets for Antetokounmpo if there’s even the slightest chance that he’ll become available would complicate the Nets’ efforts to make a deal for Fox, Lewis notes. It’s also unclear whether the 2023 All-Star would have interest in signing a long-term contract in Brooklyn, though the presence of head coach Jordi Fernandez – a former Kings assistant – would presumably work in the Nets’ favor.

Brooklyn is one of many teams around the NBA with interest in Fox — Shams Charania of ESPN said during a late-night appearance on SportsCenter on Tuesday (YouTube link) that the Kings had already gotten “dozens” of calls on the star guard.

The one team consistently linked to Fox is San Antonio. Charania confirmed during his SportsCenter appearance that the Spurs are “atop (Fox’s) list of preferred destinations.”

Here are a few more trade rumors from around the NBA:

Checking on the Jimmy Butler situation, Marc Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) says his sources remain skeptical about the possibility of the Grizzlies acquiring the Heat forward, who reportedly doesn’t want to end up in Memphis.
On the other hand, Stein continues to hear whispers about Milwaukee as a possible Butler suitor, noting that Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis are the kinds of win-now players on short-term deals who may appeal to Miami. Whether or not they make a play for Butler, the Bucks are considered “as determined as any team” to make a pre-deadline deal in the hopes of beefing up the supporting cast around stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, Stein adds.
K.C. Johnson of Chicago Sports Network (YouTube link; hat tip to BrewHoop) confirms that the Bucks have interest in Bulls star Zach LaVine, which was speculated last week. However, with Phoenix guard Bradley Beal said to be uninterested in waiving his no-trade clause to go to Chicago, that likely eliminates one potential multi-team scenario in which LaVine could end up in Milwaukee.
With the Bulls seeking a first-round pick for Nikola Vucevic and the Wizards asking for a protected first-rounder for Jonas Valanciunas, the Lakers are exploring other center options and have discussed internally whether it makes sense to put both of their tradable first-round picks (2029 and 2031) on the table for Pacers big man Myles Turner, sources tell Anthony Irwin of ClutchPoints. It’s unclear if Indiana would actually move its starting center, but there has reportedly been some chatter around the league about whether the Pacers will be comfortable meeting Turner’s asking price when he reaches unrestricted free agency in July.

Jimmy Butler Rumors: Asking Price, Warriors, Suns, Randle

January 28th, 2025 at 4:01pm CST by Luke Adams

After ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the Heat have lowered their asking price in trade talks for Jimmy Butler as they look to get a deal done ahead of next Thursday’s deadline, Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter links) hears that the team has begun to show more willingness to consider taking on salary beyond 2025/26 as long as the contract isn’t “outrageous.”

Jackson’s report comes on the heels of Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports stating that the Warriors have reentered the mix for Butler now that Miami has dropped its asking price. Shams Charania of ESPN confirmed during a SportsCenter appearance on Tuesday (YouTube link) that Golden State has been back in touch with the Heat about Butler.

Jackson points specifically to Warriors forward Andrew Wiggins‘ contract, which includes a $30.2MM player option for 2026/27, as one that the Heat might not be totally opposed to taking on. By comparison, Bradley Beal, who is said to be of zero interest to the Heat, has a $57.1MM player option for ’26/27, along with the no-trade clause that he’s reportedly not interested in giving up if dealt.

While the Heat are loosening their requirements a little, their preference remains to acquire shorter-term deals that expire as soon as possible, Jackson writes. According to Jackson, for each extra year of salary the Heat take on, they want a “carrot” such as a draft pick.

Here’s more on the Butler situation:

The Suns‘ trade with Utah that saw them split their 2031 first-round pick into three less valuable first-rounders wasn’t specifically about trying to acquire Butler, according to plugged-in Phoenix-area radio host John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). Gambadoro says the Suns expect to be a good team in 2031 and felt like giving up that pick was a worthwhile risk in order to gain three separate assets that could be used to upgrade the roster.
Ian Begley of SNY.tv suggests keeping an eye on the Timberwolves in the event of a multi-team Butler blockbuster. As Begley explains, the Heat were among the teams that expressed interest in trading for Julius Randle during the 2024 offseason and have kept tabs on the forward following his trade to Minnesota. Randle could become a free agent as early as this summer – he holds a $30.9MM player option for 2025/26 – which makes his contract a fit for Miami. Begley adds that the Heat and Timberwolves have been in touch, though he isn’t sure if there are any active talks between the two teams.
As Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel writes, the Heat pulled out an “invigorating” double-overtime win over Orlando in the first game of Butler’s latest suspension on Monday. Meanwhile, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald takes a closer look at what life without Butler looks like on the court for the Heat, observing that the team has begun to lean more heavily on bigger lineups.

Heat ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ About Moving Butler By Deadline

January 28th, 2025 at 10:32am CST by Luke Adams

10:32am: The Warriors, viewed near the start of the month as an unlikely suitor for Butler, are one of the teams back in the mix now that the Heat have lowered their asking price, reports Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link).

Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel hears from a source that the Heat would be satisfied to receive a “potential contributing” player on a one- or two-year contract, expiring salary, and a pair of draft picks in exchange for Butler.

9:48am: The Heat are “cautiously optimistic” about the possibility of making a Jimmy Butler trade before the February 6 deadline, according to Barry Jackson and Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, who report that Miami has been engaging “several” teams besides the Suns.

While Phoenix has long been viewed as Butler’s preferred landing spot and the team most willing to give the 35-year-old the maximum-salary contract he’s seeking, the Suns haven’t had much luck finding a trade structure that works, per The Herald.

Bradley Beal would have to be sent to a third team in order for the Suns to acquire Butler, since Phoenix can’t aggregate contracts and Miami isn’t interested in the veteran guard, who has two more years and nearly $111MM left on his contract after this season.

Finding a taker for Beal has been a challenge, especially since he has the ability to veto any deal using his no-trade clause. While Beal is reportedly open to waiving that clause to join a contending team, ideally one in a warm-weather city, he also seems to be comfortable with the idea of remaining in Phoenix, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.

Appearing on ESPN (Twitter video links), NBA insider Brian Windhorst backed up the notion that the Heat are talking to teams besides the Suns about Butler and said Miami is “really, really trying to make this happen,” adding that the team’s asking price on Butler has dropped a little from where it was earlier in the month.

“Obviously, the Phoenix Suns have tried to get this done for weeks,” Windhorst said on SportsCenter. “They have tried three-, four-, five-team machinations. They have not been able to overcome the fact that what they’ve really got to trade is Bradley Beal, who has a no-trade clause and not a very big market. So now I do believe this is going to bring in some other teams. We could see some surprising moves in this little battle in the next couple of days.

“… I am not saying for sure this is going to happen. I’m not predicting what’s going to happen. But I do think some teams that thought they were out of this are coming back in because it doesn’t look like the Suns and Heat are going to be able to consummate a deal. I think we might see a team swoop in here and get Jimmy Butler at a cheap price. A guy who can be the best player in a playoff series at a bargain price.”

Windhorst went a step further during an appearance on ESPN’s First Take on Tuesday morning (Twitter video link).

“Jimmy Butler’s going to get traded,” he predicted. “I wasn’t sure about that maybe seven to 10 days ago. I really am more sure than ever that that’s going to happen.”

The Heat announced on Monday that they’ve suspended Butler for a third time. Following a five-game suspension earlier this month and a two-game suspension that just concluded on Saturday, the latest suspension is an indefinite one and was said to be for “withholding services.” That means it will cost Butler 1/91.6th of his $48.8MM salary for each game he misses — the previous suspensions for conduct detrimental for the team cost him 1/145th of his salary per game.

Since word of Butler’s desire to be traded first broke last month, reports have indicated that the Heat are willing to hang onto the six-time All-Star through this season and revisit trade talks in the summer if they don’t get the sort of return they want by February 6. The club is said to be prioritizing win-now players with contracts that don’t extend beyond 2025/26.

However, with the standoff between the two sides continuing to escalate, it appears increasingly untenable for Butler to remain on the roster for several more months, which is why the front office is more motivated than ever to find a viable deal.

As Jackson and Chiang point out, while Butler’s camp has long conveyed that he intends to decline his 2025/26 player option in favor of free agency, the veteran forward could make life difficult on the Heat by picking up that option in June and essentially putting Miami back in the same situation it’s in now — with a disgruntled star on a maximum-salary deal, hamstringing the team’s ability to improve the roster around him.

Additionally, while the Heat are theoretically saving some money as a result of Butler’s suspensions, team-imposed suspensions don’t affect a team’s tax bill, and based on existing precedents, it’s very possible Butler will regain a chunk of his lost salary through the appeal process. In other words, the financial incentives to continue suspending him are minimal.

Neither Windhorst nor the duo of Jackson and Chiang named specific teams outside of Phoenix that might be exploring a deal for Butler. Previous reporting has indicated that the Grizzlies have kicked the tires on the possibility, despite being warned against it, while Marc Stein said on Monday that rival clubs continue to wonder if the Bucks will get involved.

Heat Notes: Butler, Herro, Ware, Jovic, Robinson

January 27th, 2025 at 10:37pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Six-time All-Star Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been suspended for the third time this season by his own team. As a result of this latest suspension, he’s out indefinitely. With the NBA trade deadline less than two weeks away, however, he may be seeing on-court action soon enough — for someone else.

Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra opted to keep relatively mum on the Butler situation ahead of a 125-119 double-overtime victory Monday over Orlando, per Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (Twitter link).

“I get it, what you guys all want right now,” Spoelstra told reporters. “And I figure that’s why this media room is full right now. We’re trying to quiet the noise and we’re just focusing on the task at hand. There is no better place to be than just the present moment.”

When asked about how the Heat’s older players were handling the Butler drama, Spoelstra expressed apathy, Winderman reports (via Twitter).

“I don’t really care,” Spoelstra said. “We’re just focusing on the task at hand.”

For their part, several Heat players opted to downplay the Butler suspension after their teammate reportedly walked out of Monday’s shootaround upon hearing he had been demoted to a bench role in favor of Haywood Highsmith, prompting his latest suspension.

Highsmith himself claimed he did not even notice Butler exit the shootaround, according to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). After talking with other Miami players, Jackson tweets that it was apparently not a “big scene.”

There’s more out of Miami:

Thanks to a breakout season, guard Tyler Herro seems like the 23-22 Heat’s best bet to land a player in the All-Star game next month. Writing for The Miami Herald, Jackson considers how Herro compares to the other Eastern Conference guards looking to become All-Star reserves this year, including Cleveland’s Darius Garland and Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball.
Rookie Heat center Kel’el Ware is thriving with expanded minutes and a bigger role for Miami, writes Adam Lichtenstein of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. He had averaged a scant nine minutes per night during his first two months as a pro. Ware has notched a double-double in four of his last five contests, while serving as Miami’s new starting center across the past four. Bam Adebayo has been moved to a forward role. “He’s earned these minutes,” Spoelstra said of Ware. “That’s the most important thing. He’s earned it with what he’s been doing on the court to the point where we had to find ways to get him more minutes.” Jackson notes in another piece that the rookie is already developing a strong bond with young forward Nikola Jovic on the court.
Spoelstra has been toggling Heat wing Duncan Robinson between a starting role and a bench gig this season, writes Jackson in another article. “It’s never easy,” Robinson said. “We’re all ambitious. We all want what’s best for us as a team, but then we all have our own individual careers. We want that for ourselves as well. You know stuff is going to change. You know the way Spo operates. He’s always pulling triggers, trying to find lineups that work.

Suns’ Bradley Beal Not Interested In Bulls Trade

January 27th, 2025 at 9:00pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Suns guard Bradley Beal is not amenable to waiving his no-trade clause to be moved to the Bulls, a source tells Fred Katz of The Athletic.

Chicago has reportedly held conversations with Phoenix about the idea of acquiring Beal to help facilitate a Suns trade for embattled Heat All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler. On Monday, the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals MVP was suspended by Miami for the third time this year.

Because the Heat have no interest in taking on salary beyond 2025/26, Katz notes, a third team seems needed to land Butler with Phoenix All-Stars Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, creating a new “Big Three” of formidable veterans.

Two-time All-Star Chicago wing Zach LaVine‘s $43MM salary would have made him a clear financial fit in a hypothetical three-team deal, though he is under contract for two more seasons after this one and may not have appealed to Miami for that reason.

Things have not gone according to plan for the Suns this season. Day-one starters Beal and Jusuf Nurkic have both been demoted to the bench, and the club has struggled in the Western Conference under new head coach Mike Budenholzer. Nurkic is no longer in Budenholzer’s rotations at all, while Beal is the club’s sixth man. Phoenix is currently 23-21 on the year, good for the No. 7 seed in the West.

Katz reports that, despite his lack of interest in joining the Bulls, Beal would be open to being dealt away from the Suns, provided he is sent to a “winning team.” He also finds cold-weather destinations less appealing, Katz adds. The Bulls, being in such a climate and also sporting a sub-.500 record (19-27), are not among trade destinations Beal would approve.

Across 31 healthy games this year, the 6’4″ guard is averaging 17.2 points per night on an efficient slash line of .485/.396/.764.

The 31-year-old is owed $160MM across this season and the next two. Beal, who has not made an All-Star team since his Wizards-era prime, is one of just two players in the NBA with a full no-trade clause, along with 21-time All-Star Lakers forward LeBron James.

Heat Suspend Jimmy Butler Indefinitely

January 27th, 2025 at 3:51pm CST by Rory Maher

3:51pm: Butler’s indefinite suspension is now official, according to the Heat (Twitter links).

“The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services,” the team said in a statement. “This includes walking out of practice earlier today.”

As Marks points out (via Twitter), the “withholding services” line means Butler will lose 1/91.6th of his salary per game, which works out to $2,663,685 over the next five contests.

3:03pm: The Heat plan to suspend six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler indefinitely, sources tell Shams Charania of ESPN.

According to Charania, Butler walked out of shootaround on Monday morning after he was informed that the team planned to start Haywood Highsmith over him going forward.

While Butler’s latest suspension is considered indefinite, he will miss a minimum of five more games, tweets Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. As Will Guillory of The Athletic observes, that five-game timeline isn’t a coincidence — it means he won’t suit up for the team again prior to the February 6 trade deadline (Twitter link).

Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald hears Butler wasn’t pleased with the news and angrily left mid-shootaround. That gave the Heat cause to suspend him without pay while also ensuring he won’t get injured in a game before the deadline (Twitter link).

The language the Heat use in their press release will be key to determining how much money Butler could miss out on, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks (Twitter links). Butler will be docked $532,737 per game if Miami calls it failure to render services, while conduct detrimental to the team would cost Butler $336,543 per contest.

As Jackson and Anthony Chiang write for The Miami Herald, the original plan had been for Butler to play on Monday following a two-game suspension, though his role going forward was a major question mark. Overall, Butler has been suspended nine games to this point; that figure will now rise to at least 14.

The first suspension, covering seven games, was referred to as conduct detrimental to the team; the second, covering two games, was for a “continued pattern of disregard of team rules, insubordinate conduct and conduct detrimental to the team, including missing… a team flight to Milwaukee.” The National Basketball Players Association plans to file a grievance to dispute the suspension, and Butler could get some of his salary back in the future.

It has been exactly eight years since Butler came off the bench, writes Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. Obviously, the 35-year-old wasn’t interested in that scenario after butting heads with management for the past several weeks.

“It kind of feels normal now at this point,” Tyler Herro said of having Butler back from a suspension again Monday morning, prior to the breaking news. “Kind of is what it is, but nothing’s guaranteed. We’ve just got to be ready to roll with whatever cards we’re dealt tonight. We’ve just got to be ready to go.”

Butler has been at odds with Miami over his contract, which pays him $48.8MM in 2024/25, with a $52.4MM player option in ’25/26. Last offseason, he was hoping to decline that option and add an additional year (and more money) onto his maximum-salary deal, but the Heat had no interest in that scenario; in fact, president Pat Riley publicly criticized Butler for his lack of availability, which reportedly caught Butler off guard.

Charania first reported that the Heat were open to listening for trade offers for Butler, who has repeatedly let it be known that he intends to decline his player option to hit free agency in the offseason. About a week after that reporting, the team announced that it wouldn’t trade Butler, but then he privately asked to be traded and Miami then said it did plan to deal him.

The Suns have reportedly been the most aggressive team in pursuit of Butler, but this news doesn’t mean there’s any progress between the two teams in trade talks, per John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link). The major hold-up in a potential deal is that Miami has no interest in taking on Bradley Beal‘s maximum-salary contract, which covers two more seasons beyond ’24/25 and features a full no-trade clause.

Southeast Notes: Okogie, Butler, Hawks, Bitadze

January 27th, 2025 at 1:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Since Phoenix acquired Nick Richards from Charlotte earlier this month, most of the focus has been on how the big man is helping the Suns. But the deal has also had a positive effect on the Hornets, according to Roderick Boone of The Charlotte Observer, who says veteran swingman Josh Okogie has been just what the team needs.

Okogie set new personal season highs with 16 points and 10 rebounds on Friday vs. Portland. He also has 11 steals in his first four games as a Hornet and has an eye-popping +28.0 net rating in his 83 minutes on the court. His impact has extended beyond his statistical output — the 26-year-old has earned praise from head coach Charles Lee for his vocal leadership.

“Love the impact that he’s given our team,” Lee said. “No. 1, he just has a great feel for the league, the game, what the game asks of you, the competitiveness. He’s already added a vocal element to our team, which I think we can definitely use. When you have a young team, and as much as I talk, they get tired of hearing me probably. So, it’s nice when their teammates speak up and have things to say.”

It’s possible the Hornets will look to flip Okogie, who is on a pseudo-expiring contract (his $7.75MM salary for next season is non-guaranteed), to a new team at next week’s deadline in order to expand their return from trading Richards. But Okogie has fit in nicely and sounds enthusiastic about the idea of finishing the season in Charlotte.

“It’s been fun,” he said. “It’s a good group with a lot of energy, plays free, plays loose and just likes to have fun. It’s kind of refreshing to go out there and just play as hard and that be what the coaches and the organization (are) trying to implement in the players.”

Here’s more from around the Southeast:

Within his latest trade rumor round-up at Substack, Marc Stein of The Stein Line lists the Hornets and Wizards as a couple more of the teams known to be interested in facilitating a trade involving Heat forward Jimmy Butler, alongside Toronto and Detroit, among others. While Phoenix has been the team most consistently identified as a suitor for Butler, rival teams are still wondering if the Bucks might get involved in the bidding, Stein adds.
Rookie forward Zaccharie Risacher, who has missed the Hawks‘ past six games due to a left adductor strain, has been upgraded to questionable for Monday’s contest in Minnesota, the team announced (via Twitter). Big man Larry Nance Jr. is also listed as questionable to suit up after returning to action on Saturday from a 12-game absence for right hand surgery. While Nance has returned to the court and Risacher appears to be on the verge of joining him, Atlanta will be without Trae Young, who has been ruled out for Monday’s contest due to right hamstring tightness (Twitter link via Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks). De’Andre Hunter is listed as questionable too as he continues to deal with the illness that forced him to miss Saturday’s game.
Magic center Goga Bitadze has been out since January 12 but appears on the verge of clearing the NBA’s concussion protocol. He said he feels “good to go” for Monday’s game in Miami, as Jason Beede of The Orlando Sentinel relays (Twitter links). “Obviously, you know, it’s going to be probably be a little dusty. Is that how you say it? Or rusty?” Bitadze said. “… Well, it’s going to be dusty and rusty. We’re going to see. First game back. (I’m) really excited.”

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