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I had this idea last night of a “Bar Rescue”-type of show, but it’s Jimmy Butler going to bad, young basketball teams and trying to fix what’s wrong. It involves a lot of yelling and him bringing in Udonis Haslem as his culture expert and a costume designer for media day training. How am I not running a TV network?
Trade SZN
Should a young team risk trading for Butler?
To be completely upfront with you, I haven’t been very enthusiastic about the upcoming trade deadline (Feb. 6) possibilities. That’s no offense to Brandon Ingram, but I’m just not anticipating any big shakeups. Still, the unofficial opening of trade season happens this Sunday, when a lot of new contracts from the offseason become tradable. Recently, much of the NBA world raised an eyebrow at reports of the Heat being open to trade conversations regarding Jimmy Butler. My eyebrow went up, too.
Butler’s key facts:
- Supreme difference-maker when it comes to winning. He’s proven as such in both Minnesota and Miami, at least.
- He is 35 years old.
- Owed $52 million next season if he picks up his player option. If he doesn’t, he’s a free agent.
There are risks all around – not just from a financial or age standpoint. It’s fair to question if the basketball portion of Butler’s situation will fit your team now.
When it was reported the possible landing spots for Butler were the Warriors, Mavericks, Rockets and maybe the Suns, too, I started thinking about where I’d like to see him next — especially with a team like Houston in the mix. Butler can be a great presence to teach guys how to win if they buy into what he and the coach are preaching (assuming they’re on the same page). It can also go real sideways, like it did in Minnesota when Jimmy decided the young guys (Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins) didn’t have what it takes. Let’s run through some ideas:
The Rockets with Ime Udoka?
- This previously horrendous team turned into a .500 squad last season.
- Currently second in the West (17-8) as Udoka keeps turning around the franchise.
- Acquiring Butler could catapult them into real contender status if things go correctly.
But for how long? How long does Butler have left at this level, if he can stay healthy?
Let’s put Houston aside for a minute and look at other young teams that could use a shot of culture and winning injected into their veins.
The two young teams I immediately thought of were Charlotte and Detroit. Charlotte is a little too early with this new regime for this thought exercise (but I like what I see).
Let’s dig in on Detroit.
- They have good young talent to move and future picks to offer up.
- The Pistons have been much better under J.B. Bickerstaff than anything they showed under Monty Williams.
- They also brought in some solid veterans this offseason to help Cade Cunningham and the young guys.
- The Pistons are 10-16 with a terrible offense and a middle-of-the-road defense.
Is Butler the type of acquisition who could be worth the risk for Detroit, assuming he’s not a rental? I asked our Pistons beat writer, Hunter Patterson, what he thinks:
“The main reason I’d advise against the Pistons signing any veteran wings is that their current wings offer Cade Cunningham the most spacing he’s had in his career without being ball dominant. Plus, the young wings they do have, have been hampered by injury.
I’d be more intrigued to see Detroit pursue a veteran big who is a surefire double-double and a threat in pick-and-roll situations. Think more Jakob Poeltl or Nikola Vučević. That way Cunningham can continue to grow as a primary ballhandler with another option in pick-n-rolls. Poeltl offers more of a rebounding and defensive presence, while Vučević is a stretch five who can further open the floor up for this team.”
I understand the logic from Hunter here, and he might not be wrong. I also don’t think this team is a small pickup away from really being a threat. I do think adding someone like Butler, with a strong coach (Bickerstaff) in tow, could really help them ascend up the East. And sometimes, we get too concerned with everybody being on the same timeline. I think it would be good for Cunningham, 23, to get a crash course in doing whatever it takes to extract wins out of tough moments.
The best fits will probably be either the Warriors or Rockets, if Butler gets moved at all. I do think he is worth the risk, though.
The Last 24
The Wizards are confused by themselves
🏀 Celtics 123, Pistons 99. Payton Pritchard had 27 points and 10 assists off the bench to lead Boston to the win.
🏀 Heat 114, Raptors 104. Bam Adebayo’s 21 points, 16 rebounds and five assists helped the Heat to their fourth straight win.
🏀 Kings 111, Pelicans 109. Domantas Sabonis beat the Pelicans with 32 points and 20 boards to overcome 36 points from CJ McCollum.
🪄 Losing like this? The Wizards can’t believe how bad they’ve been. I can.
🏀 Draft late! The second-rounders and undrafted players from 2024 are making an impact. John Hollinger breaks it down.
📺 Don’t miss this game tonight. Clippers (14-11) at Nuggets (12-10), 9 p.m. ET on NBA TV or Fubo. Nikola Jokić has been on a tear, but the Clippers have a great defense.
NBA Cup Final Four
Time for Bucks-Hawks and Thunder-Rockets
Saturday afternoon and evening, we’re going to have our eyes on Las Vegas for the semifinals of the NBA Cup. We’ve got the Bucks versus the Hawks for the East, and the Thunder against the Rockets for the West. The two winners will play for the NBA Cup championship and a significant amount of bonus money. Let’s preview these two games!
Bucks vs. Hawks, 4:30 p.m. ET on TNT
A rematch of the 2021 Eastern Conference finals!
Key matchup: Jalen Johnson versus Giannis Antetokounmpo. We know that nobody really stops Antetokounmpo, especially when he’s scoring in the paint like he’s MVP Shaquille O’Neal. But Johnson has done a great job of being a scorer, a floor-stretcher, a facilitator and a defensive presence. He’s exactly what the Hawks wanted John Collins to become.
Key stat: 15. The Bucks are 10-4 when they make 15 3-pointers in a game, and they’re just 3-7 when they don’t. Eric Nehm has more on how they’ve been playing lately. That’s especially meaningful because the Hawks allow one of the highest 3-point percentages in the NBA this season.
Are we healthy? Everybody is good to go.
What’s the most interesting outcome? For the league, getting Antetokounmpo against this Thunder team is probably the best for promotion and ratings. For chaos, the Hawks advancing further than they should always throw a wrench into things.
Prediction: Let’s get weird! Give me the Hawks!
Thunder vs. Rockets, 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC
A battle of the two best teams in the Western Conference!
Key matchup: Isaiah Hartenstein guarding Alperen Şengün. The Rockets big man is a bully going to the basket, and he’s so good at pivoting around defenders into good shots. Hartenstein is a good defender, but he’s also the only big man they have worth playing right now. If OKC can clamp down on Şengün, it really limits Houston’s already tepid offense.
Key stat: 23. The Thunder lead the league in points scored off turnovers at 23.1 per game. That’s a ridiculously high number for them to average. NBA.com tracks this stat back to the 1996-97 season, and OKC has by far the highest average. Houston is the fourth-best at preventing points off turnovers at 14.6 per game.
Are we healthy? Chet Holmgren is still out with his hip injury.
What’s the most interesting outcome? Definitely this budding Thunder team competing for the Cup.
Prediction: I am not convinced Houston can score enough against OKC. Give me the Thunder.
Back to School!
Who would benefit from pulling a Belichick?
I was just as dumbfounded by all of you when Bill Belichick decided his next coaching job would be at the University of North Carolina. I immediately rushed to the internet to make sure I hadn’t missed some ascension by the football program. (I hadn’t.) They’ve only had one really good season since 1997, no offense to Drake Maye. The news got the old hamster wheel turning a bit, and I started wondering: Which NBA coaches might excel at a move like this if/when they get fired?
Bill Belichick bringing out his dad’s UNC sweatshirt from the mid-50’s is INCREDIBLE pic.twitter.com/tzomcMGopr
— Unnecessary Roughness (@UnnecRoughness) December 12, 2024
First and foremost, let’s eliminate former NCAA champ Billy Donovan from this conversation because that’s just boring and too obvious. Here are three coaches who would be set up for success and three coaches who … really wouldn’t.
Three coaches who could rule college hoops
Mark Daigneault, OKC: It would be an adjustment for Daigneault to coach a roster older than his current Thunder one, but he basically runs the highest-power college team at the NBA level and dominates while doing so.
Jamahl Mosley, Orlando: There’s nothing this coach loves more than preaching defense and “next man up” mentality. Look what he’s done in Orlando. Mosley would run college hoops within a month.
Brian Keefe, Washington: It would just be so good for him to get away from this Wizards team for a few years and win some games. I want that for him.
Three coaches who would rue college hoops
Mike Budenholzer, Phoenix: He’s a really good coach, but I can’t imagine his confused face trying to recruit talent in the NIL era. Although, Dabo Sweeney was able to recruit …
Doc Rivers, Milwaukee: Just have him take over a great program and then pretend it’s a burden as he teaches the kids that accountability will never be necessary in basketball.
JJ Redick, L.A. Lakers: It’s going to be tough to add Bronny James to the program at this point. But maybe he can do it.
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(Top photo: Megan Briggs/ Getty Images )
