27 Dec

Heat predicted to cut ties with Jimmy Butler via trade to Celtics

“The Boston Celtics are stacked, but could the rich get richer,” Clutch Points’ Bailey Bassett wrote Wednesday.

“That is what would happen if the Celtics made a trade with the Heat for Jimmy Butler.”

“Considering how much talent they have, there would be seemingly no reason to do this, but Boston certainly fits the description of a championship-contending team that Butler could be interested in playing for.”

“Butler is a star, but he actually might not be good enough to even start on the Celtics.”

“Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are one of the best duos in basketball, and Jrue Holiday and Derrick White fill the backcourt spots perfectly with their elite two-way play.”

“Kristaps Porzingis is even back and healthy, too. Even so, the Celtics have had a lot of legendary players suit up for them over the years, and Butler could hypothetically be yet another.”

Two seasons ago, Butler and the Heat, the lowest-seeded team in the Eastern Conference, completed a pleasantly surprising run to the NBA finals.

Butler averaged 26.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per contest on 46.8% shooting from the field and 35.9% shooting from deep in 22 postseason games.

The following season, however, Butler suffered an MCL sprain and missed the entire postseason, causing the short-handed Heat to fall to the Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.

Butler is doing his part this season to help Miami stay afloat, but the Heat aren’t 100% sold on the idea of the six-time All-Star finishing the season with the organization.

While Miami is open to trade talks regarding Butler, it’s unlikely the Heat will ship the Marquette product to the already-loaded Celtics between now and the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

27 Dec

Magic could add another star by trading for Kings’ $163 million All-Star guard

While the Magic have stayed near the top of the East without their two biggest stars, they could look to add more scoring to their roster. One name that has entered trade rumors is the Sacramento Kings’ All-Star guard, De’Aaron Fox.

Fox is signed through the 2025-26 season, but he and the Kings have yet to agree on a new extension. Because of both this and the Kings’ struggles this season, Sacramento may be willing to trade him away for the right price.

In a possible trade, Orlando could send a package of Jonathan Isaac, Jett Howard, Cole Anthony, Gary Harris and multiple first-round picks to Sacramento for Fox and Kevin Huerter. Note that this trade cannot be completed until Jan. 2 due to Isaac’s recently signed restriction.

With the Kings struggling, they could revamp their lineup around Domantas Sabonis with the players in this trade while also replenishing their limited amount of future draft capital.

For the Magic, adding a star player like Fox would only increase their odds of coming out of the East this season once Banchero and Wagner return from injury. Fox has had one of the best seasons of his career this year as he is averaging 26.4 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.7 steals per game. He is also shooting 48.9% from the field and 33.1% from three.

With Orlando desperately needing offensive help, they would get that in both Fox and Huerter. Fox has averaged 20 or more points per game in all but two seasons of his eight-year career while Huerter has been one of the most underrated outside shooters since entering the NBA in 2018.

By adding Fox to a lineup that consists of Suggs, Wagner, Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. as well as Huerter and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope off the bench, Orlando would be in a good position to win the franchise’s first title this season.

27 Dec

BA Cup Semifinals showdown

For OKC, Chet Holmgren (hip), Ousmane Dieng (finger), Adam Flager (finger) and Nikola Topic (ACL) are all out for Saturday’s game. For the first time this season, power forward/center Jaylin Williams is listed as day-to-day as he has been recovering from a hamstring injury.

As for Houston, they have no one on their roster listed as out, but have a variety of guys day-to-day. Alperen Sengun (knee), Cam Whitmore (wrist), Jae’Sean Tate (back) and Steven Adams (knee) are all on that list.

What to know
Last night, Dec. 11, the Houston Rockets defeated the Golden State Warriors 91-90. Headed by Sengun who put up 26 points and 11 rebounds, it was an overall poor performance from the Rockets on their home court.

Shooting 22% from three and giving up 16 total turnovers, the Rockets were able to sneak by the Warriors with some ‘questionable’ calls and an equally poor shooting performance from Curry and Hield.

For the Thunder, they have faced the Rockets twice this season and have split the series 1-1. The first game OKC dominated Houston 126-107 and only lost by three in their second meeting due to an all-time performance from VanVleet and 40 free throw attempts.

The third official meeting is sure to be electric as there is much more on the line during this game in Vegas. For the Thunder to secure a spot in the title game, relying on their historic defense and recognizing how the game is being called is vital. Houston has an assortment of young stars who are able to put the ball in the basket, so minimizing their touches and forcing others to score will be key.

Throughout the entirety of the NBA Cup games, officials have been allowing more physical play. If that trend continues, OKC guards should have a field day against Houston.

27 Dec

Should Nuggets make this ‘tempting’ trade offer to Lakers for LeBron James?

While the Bitar proposal is approximately $900,000 away from working financially, the Lakers and Nuggets could surely tinker with the deal or add a third team to get a similar exchange to Bitar’s idea in motion.

“The Denver Nuggets making a move for LeBron James would be a statement of their championship ambitions, taking their already stacked roster to another level,” Bitar said.

“Pairing LeBron with reigning three-time MVP Nikola Jokic would give Denver an all-time duo capable of dominating both ends of the court.”

“Michael Porter Jr. brings elite shooting and length … offering immediate scoring alongside Anthony Davis. Christian Braun, a swingman with defensive potential and energy, could develop into a useful rotational piece for the Lakers, while Zeke Nnaji provides solid depth in the frontcourt.”

“The 2031 first-round pick may seem far off, but it offers future value as the Nuggets’ championship window could begin to close as key players age. From a Lakers perspective, this package has some solid young talent, but it’s likely a tough sell without a more immediate star in return for LeBron.”

“Still, the Nuggets would essentially be guaranteeing themselves a spot in the West’s elite, and the opportunity to run with a LeBron-Jokic combo would be too tempting to pass up. For the Lakers, this is a long-term play with a solid mix of youth and future assets.”

LeBron and Jokić have a combined seven NBA MVP trophies. This union would be historic, but would the trade that makes it happen be a wise endeavor for both teams?

27 Dec

NBA Insider adamant on Suns’ chances of landing All-NBA forward in blockbuster trade

Now sitting at 12-11 and holding sole possession of the No. 10 seed in a loaded Western Conference, it’s been heavily rumored that Phoenix may enter trade discussions to potentially land a star.

With recent developments regarding his impending unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2025, the Miami Heat’s six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler has looked to be a possible fit with the superstar core of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

Butler is averaging 19.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals paired with a career-best 58.1% effective field goal percentage for Miami this season, sparking plenty of interest from contending teams.

On a one-year rental, it’s plausible that Butler could contribute to a star-studded roster with a championship victory being the franchise’s only goal. Butler’s reported status on the trade market has led to plenty of discussion surrounding his preferred destinations, with Phoenix being one of the top suitors named.

Soon after reports were released, individuals close to the situation, like Butler’s agent Bernie Lee, refuted any claims of Butler’s availability. Specifically, Lee called out ESPN’s Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania for spreading alleged false information.

After Lee’s response, most had assumed that trade discussions surrounding Butler-to-Phoenix had been dismantled. Instead, Charania stood by his information and sources during a recent appearance on ESPN’s NBA Countdown show, as shared by Forbes’ Evan Sidery via Twitter/X.

“Another team that Butler’s agent Bernie Lee has indicated recently, that Butler is open to the Phoenix Suns, sources told me today,” Charania shared Wednesday night.

“And you think about what Jimmy Butler wants. A win-now, contending situation. There’s been no other win-now team more than these Phoenix Suns.”

“You think about their salary cap bill, what they’ve done with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal going all-in. So, keep a very close eye on the Phoenix Suns.”

While salary in the form of Beal would likely have to be shipped out to Miami to complete the deal financially, the arrival of Butler in Phoenix would supply one of the league’s best perimeter defenders to a team with a lackluster No. 20 ranked defensive rating of 114.4.

27 Dec

Celtics’ legend names Nuggets as best fit for Heat’s $146 million star amid rumors

As the NBA season moves closer to the trade deadline in February, trade rumors have begun to run wild.

One player who has been at the forefront of those rumors is the Miami Heat’s superstar, Jimmy Butler. Butler is signed through the 2025-26 season, but many executives around the league believe that he will opt out of his contract after this season and test the waters in free agency.

Because of this, the Heat are open to listening to offers for Butler according to ESPN’s Shams Charania. Charania also reported that Butler’s top destinations are the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns.

While these teams are currently the front runners to land the six-time All-Star, a former Boston Celtics’ legend believes that a different Western Conference team is the best fit for him

“If I had to guess, if I had to put my GM cap on, the best fit for Jimmy Butler would probably be the Denver Nuggets,” said Celtics’ great, Paul Pierce, on a recent episode of Fox Sports 1’s “Speak”. “I think they need another go-to guy to help (Nikola Jokić) out.”

While the Denver Nuggets do need to give Jokić help like Pierce said, it would be difficult for Denver to pull off a trade for Butler, but it can be done.

Denver has had a down season this year as they sit seventh in the Western Conference standings with a 12-10 record. Jokić is once again playing like the MVP frontrunner, but he can only take the Nuggets so far if the supporting cast continues to let him down.

Butler would be a good fit in Denver thanks to his defensive play and scoring abilities. The Nuggets have one of the NBA’s worst defenses, so adding a defensive-minded player in Butler to their roster would only improve it.

The 35-year-old would also take the pressure off Jokić offensively. Butler is averaging 19 points per game this season in Miami, which would be tied with Michael Porter Jr. for second on Denver’s roster behind Jokić.

With the Nuggets interested in making a move to retool their lineup, do not be surprised if they contact Pat Riley and Miami to try and work out a deal for the veteran superstar.