In case you may have missed it, the Miami Heat are reportedly listening to offers for star forward Jimmy Butler, who has a $52.4 million player option after 2024-25, according to ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania.
For now, we aren’t going to try and dissect who leaked the report, whether it was Butler’s camp (agent mentioned, trying to build leverage?), another team (chaos!) or the Heat themselves (hmm…). As we’ve known since the summer, the three most likely suitors for Butler (for now) remain the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks.
Assuming any of this is in play, there is one glaring complication that all three have alike. Let’s talk about it.
Mavericks, Warriors and Rockets are all hard-capped below first-apron, complicating a trade package:
The Miami Heat are currently a first-apron team, but are $1.2 million below the vaunted $187.716 million second apron, which they don’t want to exceed.
Being a first-apron team means they can’t currently use more than the taxpayer mid-level exception, trade multiple players in the same deal, acquire players via sign-and-trade, take back more salary in trades, use traded-player exception or send cash in trades. There are plenty of restrictions. Obviously, the second apron has more strenuous restrictions.
So there are already a few roadblocks the Heat have to hurdle.
But the Mavericks, Warriors and Rockets are all hard-capped below the first apron, meaning they cannot exceed the $178.132 million first apron at any point this season.
Dallas hard-capped themselves by acquiring Klay Thompson for three years, $50 million, while also using $8.6 million of the NTMLE to sign Naji Marshall; Houston is hard-capped by using the $4.7 million bi-annual exception on Aaron Holiday; the Warriors hard-capped themselves by acquiring Buddy Hield and Kyle Anderson via sign-and-trades while signing De’Anthony Melton with the full NTMLE.
Financially, the Rockets are a more pragmatic destination than either Dallas or Golden State, who are both less than $600K from exceeding the first apron, according to Spotrac. A potential deadline deal including the latter two teams would likely have to be a multi-team deal, which is more rare during the season than in the offseason.
Houston is $10.5 million away from the luxury tax and over $15 million away from the first apron. So a package is easier to put together–especially if it’s spearheaded by Fred VanVleet or Dillon Brook. Whether it would be willing to give up those means to acquire Butler — which may not be likely, either — is a different conversation.
The Heat won’t trade Butler for nothing. But other teams may not be willing to part with valuable assets if Butler if we know he will opt out after this season–and all indications are pointing to he will.
This isn’t surprising, nor is this new. If Pat Riley and Co. decide to seriously explore this route by trading Jimmy Butler, especially with any of these three teams, they’re going to have to get creative. Thankfully they have the best cap guy in the NBA in Andy Elisburg.
It’s still very early in the season and we’re roughly two months before the Feb. trade deadline. Buckle up!
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mickey arison one of the richest men in the world does he really care if he goes over rcs apron..or second apron or third apron.guys got so much $$$ he can absorb a few apron hits
It’s not just about the money. It’s also not about that dumbass apron comment you made below. It’s about the way a team is severely penalized when they go over that threshold.
Starting at the end of the 2023-24 season, even more restrictions will be added to the second apron. These include,
Teams cannot use a trade exception generated by aggregating the salaries of multiple players
Teams cannot include cash in a trade
Teams cannot use a trade exception generated in a prior year
First-round picks seven years out are frozen (unable to be traded)
A team’s first-round pick is moved to the end of the first round if they remain in the second apron for three out of five seasons
Also,
These days, it’s hard to hear NBA media that doesn’t mention the NBA second apron.
That’s because the second apron – a new set of CBA rules that governs finance and contract rules in the NBA – has a huge impact on what how teams structure their rosters going forward. It has completely reshaped what NBA teams are able to do.
Also this.
For example, the Suns would not be able to trade Jusuf Nurkic and Grayson Allen for someone who makes their combined salary. “That’s called aggregation when you combine the salaries of two players,” Pincus said. “If you’re above the second apron, you can’t aggregate.”
$10 billion ain’t that much. Musk spends that on child support. Steve Balmer (Clippers) has a net worth of $121 billion. Now, that’s money.
I thought this article about the “1 complication” about trading Jimmy Butler to those teams was just going to be a picture of Mark Cuban. I don’t think Riley is sending that guy Jimmy Butler. He’s right up there with Danny Ainge and now Joe Cronin.
The real complicating factor is that Riley doesn’t want draft picks, and I imagine Houston would rather keep their young guys and send picks. Golden State would probably be willing to send their young guys, but I don’t think they have anyone good enough to justify a Butler trade.
My best guess is that the Rockets finally give up some of their young talent at the trade deadline, or the Heat make a run at the 5-seed and then start making a plan for their cap space next offseason
My bad. I thought the Warriors were over second apron.
why dont u put an apron on u and your aprons your funny
Teams wise, the only of those destination which makes sense is GS. Dallas has two players among the best in the world going to the rim.. . they don’t need another one. If something, they could use another good C or a good shooter.
Houston is good, but their main players are not experienced enough, to win everything. Butler could help a bit, but I doubt all the way.
On the other hand, Curry could make his last run with Butler. He cant do it with what is currently in GS.
Houston is in third place (2.5 games behind OKC) with current team and has a ton of draft picks. If they could get Butler by giving up a couple of older guys and draft picks, they would do it. Butler is from Houston, so it would be going home for him. Plus, he has country music singing aspirations.
I was talking just about needs those teams could have, and from that perspective, for GS makes most sense, for Houston probably not, and definitely not for Dallas.
But I m sure, that Riley wont give a shit about Jimmies music aspirations, nor about future picks. I believe he will want good players.
That’s all negotiable. Miami has one vacant spot open on the 15 man roster. How would it accommodate receiving 3 players in a trade for Jimmy? It would need to be VanVleet plus one salary filler plus pick(s). Butler, Rozier, Jaquez and Bryant for VanVleet, Brooks, Adams plus a pick maybe. Riley won’t do that. He gave up a pick for Rozier earlier this year.
Butler and Jovic for Brooks, Adams, and Thompson works on the trade machine. Might be worth it even with a minor or no pick.
woud we be under the second apron
Yes.
Terrible trade.
Heat can do better.
Hold on! 2 of the 3 are the same ones you suggested above ⬆️ (Brooks and Adams). In my proposal, I’m keeping Rozier for maybe another trade, keeping Jaquez, and adding Thompson, the #4 pick in the 2023 draft. Van Vleet is making $42 million vs $9 million and is 9 years older.
VanVleet expiring contract. Plus a pick.
Thompson under a reasonable 4 year $40 million contract with 3 years remaining. His draft profile below. Would we get any better pick/player with your deal?
Thompson is a 6’7 210 perimeter player who is physically gifted enough to play 1-3 at the pro level, with especially good size for the PG spot that he’s mostly viewed at as a prospect … Freakishly athletic; has outstanding speed, quickness and explodes off the floor as a leaper … Threatens the paint in a blur with his 1st step; even has success slashing against perfectly set defenders in the halfcourt because of his speed … Has an unorthodox rhythm with the ball that when mixed with his speed gives him the potential to keep defenders off balance and on his hip in the pick and roll game; allowing him to find open teammates or create slashing lanes to attack for himself … Likes handling and unselfishly finding streaking teammates in transition, being most comfortable passing on the move
I saw that draft profile. That same profile summarized his two years with Overtime Elite as follows:
“He showed his elite athleticism, speed and transition ability while also intriguing with his potential as a passer and defender, but also showed some clear flaws in his shooting and as a decision-maker that will need to be cleaned up if he’s to reach his potential as a prospect … It is worth note that he had 2 years to re-work his shooting form and grow his confidence but didn’t capitalize on it.”…
I think he is viewed as a forward because of his poor 3 point shooting. 30% this year. 19.3 career.
We already have Jaquez, (6’6″/225 lb) whose 3 point shooting has gone to crap (27.8/ this year and 31.5 career).
Plus we have Keshad Johnson (6’7′ 225 lb), waiting in the wings. I know its only G League, but his stats so far are: 24.3 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 40% 3 point shooting and 81.8% free throw percentage. He’s also a very good defender.
Yes, I’ve been a proponent of Keshad since 2qbn pointed him out on draft day. I think he can be a solid rotation player with defensive and rebounding skills at the very least. But my thoughts on the deal were if we got a pick from Houston, it could be in the mid or late 20s. So i felt I’d rather have the #4 pick. I think Thompson will be fine, but substitute one of the other young players and I’d be happy with that too.
If Houston wants Butler bad enough, it should be on Miami’s terms. They get to unload Brooks and his 3 year contract. Good rotation player. Not a good starter. 12.8 ppg @$22+ million. We already have Rozier, 12.1 ppg @$24+ million on a 2 year contract. Thompson has potential. Needs to work on his shooting.
Country music production not singing just fyi
I love seeing players become successful entrepreneurs, like Butler, Magic, Wade, LeBron, UD. Money management was not a strong suit in the past for many players, like Antoine Walker and others.
Per Google:
NBA star Jimmy Butler is recording and producing country music and plans to release his debut album:
Inspiration
Butler fell in love with country music during his senior year at Marquette University in 2010. He says Garth Brooks inspired him not to play guitar. Progress
Butler has recorded around 60 songs, but plans to record closer to 200 before selecting the final tracks for his album. He’s primarily focused on producing at this stage of his career.
Just fyi
jim loves miami tennis big face coffee just opened how bout adding on to the big 3 making one more run with a budding ss in ty
Miami is one player away from being competitive and two players away from being serious contenders. I think if “Playoff Jimmy” hangs around all season and Ware and Johnson are in the rotation by the playoffs, Miami has a shot at doing serious damage.