That Jimmy Butler was coming out Miami Heat it's nothing new, but just a few minutes ago Shams Charania announced a new Christmas bomb, which has now become a tradition for ESPN apparently, if you think about what happened with James Harden a couple of Christmases ago. According to the report, in fact, the player's preference would be that of an exchange no later than the trade deadline of February 6thleading a contender. If the trade goes through, ESPN sources explain that Butler would not accept the $52.4 million player option expected at the end of the year, and would still become a free agent in the summer; this does not mean that potential buyers could not re-sign him (perhaps for lower sums) but simply that there will still be the player's intention to test the market at the end of the season. In short, a potentially expensive rental until the end of the year for a 35-year-old who has not played at least 65 games since 2019 and is entitled to a salary of $48.8 million for 2024/25, figures that correspond to over 34% of the team cap. If he were to remain in Miami, however, it is not clear what he will do with the player option, but the Heat could have all the interest in the world in completing a trade now so as not to risk losing him at 0 at the end of the year. The teams in the very front row remain Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, Dallas Mavericks e Houston Rockets (yes, they too are still present at Christmas as it was for Harden), who deserve a little summary study separately which you can read in full HERE:
Phoenix Suns
Although Butler's agent, Bernie Lee, denied Shams Charania's report, other authoritative sources in Phoenix confirmed the interest between the parties. The strictly necessary condition would be an exchange of Bradley Bealthe only one of the Suns' “Big Three” who is truly expendable but also the only owner of one clause to veto any trade. Further problems arise from a salary point of view. Phoenix is the team with the most expenses in the NBA, 1st for salaries at $220 million and 1st for luxury tax at $188.5 million, therefore very limited by the new CBA in the trading phase. As a result, the former Wizards player's $50 million would require fillers to make ends meet perfectly, which is the only way this trade could happen. As well explained by Keith Smith, NBA salary cap expert for Spotrac, the situation is the following: the Heat are well above the first apron, in a deal they cannot receive more in salaries than they send, because this would trigger the 'hard cap of the first apron; Phoenix cannot receive more in salaries than it sends out and cannot even aggregate salaries in a trade. So how would a deal be possible? Smith proposes an exchange that would see Jimmy Butler land in Phoenix together with a minimum salary like Josh Richardson, Alec Burks or Thomas Bryant (the first is better for Miami, which would take away the highest salary of the 3); the Heat, however, would receive Beal. Although the combined salaries arriving from Miami would be equal to a higher figure than that of Beal, making the operation apparently impossible for the Suns, Smith explains that it would be a matter of structuring the Phoenix-side exchange as: Butler – Beal trade, legitimate given that the former has a lower salary than the latter; purchase of a minimum wage through the “minimum exception”, which can be used in exchanges of this type.
Golden State Warriors
If Golden State wants to make any trade within the trade deadline, it will be able to do so taking into account the “first apron” rules, a salary limit introduced by the new CBA to which the Warriors are bound, and which brings with it – among others – the restriction on the amount of salary you can receive and give back in an exchange. In the case of the Dubs, the two portions can be at most the same, not a cent more. While they could possibly count on Andrew Wiggins' $26.3 million contract, aggregating more salaries would create enormous problems in a direct exchange, so in this case a third team would be needed to facilitate the deal – which is therefore the least likely of the four.
Houston Rockets
There seems to be no interest in veterans like the Miami star, and this can be seen from a recent report from The Athletic regarding that Harden trade mentioned above and never made for THESE reasons. However, Butler's arrival would mean adding a high-level veteran to an already hybrid roster, which ranges from promising young players such as Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, Jabari Smith etc. to veterans like Steven Adams, Fred VanVleet, Jeff Green and Dillon Brooks. Given the momentum of this start to the season, it might be a good idea to make more of the present in a very competitive West. Without forgetting, however, the enormous salary advantage of the Rockets, who have no impediments related to the financial regulations of the new CBA, given that they are well below the threshold of both Aprons. The situation could act as a watershed Jalen Greenwhich we have explained in detail HERE
Dallas Mavericks
They are located just below the first apron, but are hard capped at that threshold. This means, also considering the condition of the Miami Heat (beyond the first apron) and simplifying, that to get to Butler a perfect salary matching would be needed, not simple for a player with a salary of $48 million since – excluding Doncic and Irving – all other salaries are $15 million or less. A package would therefore require the use of a plethora of role players.
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