Celtics troubles | Jimmy Butler to Milwaukee?

Summary

The Athletic NBA Daily: “Celtics troubles | Jimmy Butler to Milwaukee?” – January 16, 2025

Hosted by Dave DuFour, Zena Keita, and Esfandiar Baraheni with insights from Sam Amick.

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1. Trade Alert: Phoenix Suns Acquire Nick Richards

The episode kicks off with a significant trade involving the Phoenix Suns and the Charlotte Hornets. The Suns have acquired Nick Richards and a 2026 second-round pick from the Hornets in exchange for Josh Okogie and three additional second-round picks (including picks from Denver for 2026 and 2031).

Mike DuFour highlights the strategic nature of the trade:

“Not only do they make this up Athletic, upgraded center, they also save themselves $20 million.” ([03:43])

Chris Keita elaborates on the Suns' motivations:

“They bring in Mason Plumlee who has not been able to do much either. And you have a guy like Nick Richards who is a legitimate rebounder... I think that's a win for the Suns.” ([04:56])

The Suns aim to bolster their rebounding prowess and defensive capabilities without overextending financially. Mike adds enthusiasm about Richards’ potential synergy with Devin Booker:

“He's going to run the floor hard. You can see him and Booker in transition, probably working pretty well together.” ([04:56])

Meanwhile, the Hornets appear to be focusing on future assets, indicating a shift in their competitive strategy.

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2. Team Performances: Raptors' Resurgence and Celtics' Struggles

The discussion shifts to the Toronto Raptors, who have surprisingly secured two consecutive wins against competitive teams. Despite initial challenges, the Raptors are now performing cohesively with key players like Scotty Barnes and RJ Barrett back in form.

Chris compares this to the Boston Celtics:

“Boston lately has looked very shaky... They are struggling.” ([06:10])

The Celtics have experienced inconsistency, particularly on the defensive end, leading to unexpected home losses. Mike expresses growing concerns:

“The defense has slipped like markedly... I think if you're Boston, you have a high variance style, but they're so hell bent on settling for an okay shot.” ([08:26])

Chris points out the inefficiency in shot quality and defensive lapses:

“Their starting lineup has not been performing the way we'd expect them recently... they got to find something.” ([08:26])

The hosts agree that without significant adjustments, the Celtics may languish alongside other top-tier teams struggling to maintain their form.

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3. Warriors vs. Timberwolves: A Tale of Two Teams

Analyzing the Golden State Warriors' narrow victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves, the hosts delve into the Warriors' current identity crisis. Despite appearing to be waving the white flag, Steph Curry showcased his enduring prowess by hitting seven three-pointers.

Chris reflects on the game’s dynamics:

“It's two teams that ended up on this collision course of trying not to lose, but maybe we are not good enough to not lose.” ([11:13])

Mike notes the absence of key players like Draymond Green affected the Warriors' performance but acknowledges Curry’s standout performance:

“Steph Curry hit seven threes. Kind of a reminder, hey, look, I'm still at this high level.” ([10:56])

The game illustrated the Warriors' struggle to find consistency amidst internal uncertainties, while the Timberwolves grapple with their own season-long identity issues.

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4. Fan Engagement: Disappointment Showdown – Suns vs. Bucks

A listener posed an intriguing question: Since the 2021 Finals where the Bucks and Suns faced off, which team has been the bigger disappointment?

Chris argues the Suns have been more disappointing due to their aggressive roster moves that haven’t yielded the expected success:

“I would say Phoenix. They've doubled down so much into what they're trying to do. It always kind of felt like fool's gold for them.” ([16:10])

Mike concurs, emphasizing that the Bucks have already secured a title, mitigating their disappointment:

“It's definitely Phoenix because number one, the Bucks won the title and that matters quite a bit.” ([16:43])

The consensus leans towards the Suns bearing more disappointment for their high expectations not translating into championship contention.

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5. Main Topic: Jimmy Butler's Potential Trade to Milwaukee Bucks

The core of the episode revolves around the speculation of Jimmy Butler potentially being traded to the Milwaukee Bucks. The hosts explore the viability and implications of such a move.

Sam Amick, an NBA insider, provides insights into the trade dynamics:

“Milwaukee is underperforming... they have a history of going after big fish... it would at least be worth chewing on.” ([20:36])

However, the trade is fraught with complications, particularly involving the Suns’ acquisition strategies and Bradley Beal’s no-trade clause.

Mike presses further on the Suns’ interest:

“Can you give us any more information on Milwaukee and how serious are they about a potential Jimmy Butler trade?” ([20:36])

Sam explains the intricate relationship between the Suns and Beal's agent, Mark Bartlestein, which complicates potential deals:

“Mark, who I spoke to, continues to state there is absolutely nothing going on between the Suns and the Heat that relates to Bradley Beal.” ([24:32])

The discussion highlights that while Milwaukee might be a logical destination due to their need and Butler's fit, various contractual and strategic hurdles make the trade uncertain.

Chris adds perspective on other potential suitors like the Chicago Bulls, emphasizing the complexity of aligning team needs and player preferences:

“Chicago knows all about Jimmy Butler and contract extensions. They're in a tough position.” ([26:27])

Ultimately, the episode underscores the unpredictability surrounding Butler's future and the multiple variables that influence any potential trade.

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Conclusion

The episode of The Athletic NBA Daily provides a comprehensive analysis of recent trades, team performances, and the high-stakes possibility of Jimmy Butler's move to the Milwaukee Bucks. With expert insights from Sam Amick and dynamic discussions between hosts Mike and Chris, listeners are equipped with a nuanced understanding of the current NBA landscape.

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Note: Time stamps correspond to the podcast’s timeline to provide context for quoted sections.

Transcript

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[Mike]

Good morning and welcome to the NBA Daily for January 16, 2025. Coming up, we've got a trade. The Suns got a new starting center. The warriors beat the Wolves even though they've waved the white flag. And we got Sam Amick in the house to get us up to date on all of the trade news that he's got in his notebook. Good morning everybody. Good morning s Morning. Busy night last night as always. Too much stuff again. Another night where I feel like there's just too much stuff to cover in one podcast. But to start the day, I mean, we got a trade in the afternoon S and the Phoenix Suns have started to make their moves. The Phoenix Suns entered into a trade with the Charlotte Hornets. They acquired Nick Richards and a second round pick from the Hornets for Josh Okogie and three second round picks. The Hornets are going to wind up with the picks that originated from Denver. That's going to be the 2026 Denver second rounder, the 2031 Denver second rounder, and a 2031 second rounder from the Sun. So when the Suns are really, really bad in, you know, five years, those.

[Chris]

Will be good seconds.

[Mike]

Those are going to be great seconds. I, I'm just going to ask you, what do you think about the Suns side of this deal? Oh, by the way, not only do they make this up athletic, upgraded center, they also save themselves $20 million.

[Chris]

So yeah, the, the second apron maneuvering is a big part of this. Look, I think for the Suns, they get a big man and they've been dying to have a big man who is athletic. If you think about what Yousef Nurkic has not been able to provide for this Suns team, they bring in Mason Plumlee who has not been able to do much either. And you have a guy like Nick Richards who is a legitimate rebounder, like a very, very good rebounder in the NBA. And the Suns are not a good rebounding team. So being able to close out defensive possessions, crashing the offensive glass so they can win more possessions on the offensive end, I think that's a win for the Suns. Look, when you're trying to go and work around the margins like this, I'm not going to say it's one of those big splash wins that's going to change the season for Phoenix. But it is important for them to get a big man that they can rely on. And I think Nurkic wasn't working out. Plumlee wasn't working out. I like their rookie and Oso, but it just makes more sense to get a guy who's a little bit more trusted in Richards.

[Mike]

Yeah, I, I like him a lot. Obviously good athlete. He's going to run the floor hard. You can see him and, and Booker in transition, probably working pretty well together, I think. Yeah, it's for me, I, I look at the Hornets and I say, I don't know why you guys are setting out Nick Richards. It doesn't make any sense. He's a good young player and he's cheap. Goes well with Lamello ball, but to pick up the seconds, I think that is pretty good business for a team that clearly they're not trying to compete this year. Like they just don't have the talent for that. So yeah, you got to start thinking about the future. But the sun's making their first move.

[Chris]

Probably the first of many moves for Phoenix, I would imagine. The thing is they don't have much to do.

[Mike]

That's right. Yeah, well, they gotta find a home for Nerc. Yeah, they gotta find someone to take Nerk and, and convince Bradley Beal that the real estate would be better anywhere but Phoenix. But the weather, definitely not going to be. Hey, speaking of weather, what's going on with Toronto, man, they've now won two games in a row against teams that are trying to win. Like this isn't like the battle of the, the tank off. And before we get to Boston just being bad lately and how my trust in them is, is starting to wane, I want to start with the Toronto side of this. This is two awful wins for the Raptors here. Back to what do you make of this?

[Chris]

Yeah, in the reverse standings race, it's kind of wild to think about, right. Look, they're, they're final. They didn't have Emmanuel Quickley this game. They haven't had him for a couple games. But they are getting back to full strength and that was a huge part of that sort of tankathon that they had to start this season. They now have Scotty Barnes back in the lineup. They have Grady Dick and RJ Barrett and Jakob Hurdle. And like their starting lineup is good enough to compete on any given night. So they're finally developing a level of chemistry with one another and you're seeing that. But I think this is more of a Celtics thing than a Raptors, which is a man. Boston lately has looked very shaky. You think about, look, they, they had seven home losses so far this season. They had four all of last year.

[Mike]

Right.

[Chris]

Okay. They're struggling. They're better on the road for some reason than they are at home, which is a weird kind of conundrum for a championship level team. You think about the loss that they had to Memphis at home a while back, the loss that they had to Sacramento. They, they almost lost that game against the Pelicans. That would have been back to back losses at home. And then to come into Toronto against a team that again has their priorities in different ways, it's, it's wild to me that they flub on this game. So I'm just, I'm looking at the Celtics and thinking maybe the margin of them being the favorite, the championship contender, especially when you compare them to the Cavs and Thunder, it's not as, not as big of a margin as we thought.

[Mike]

Yeah. Another couple weeks of this and I'm gonna basically put them down with everybody else that's in that top tier. It's. It's weird because the defense has slipped like markedly, I think. And also it seems like opposing defenses have caught up and thrown some things at them that throw them off. Obviously the ball pressure stuff, some of the switching that. Totally. Yeah. Right. And so I think if you're Boston, look, they play a high variance style, but they're so hell bent on settling for an okay shot, not even a good one. Like there's so many times and I think like they've got some big tough shot makers, but some of these looks are just like one pass away from being a good look.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Mike]

And maybe two. Maybe a drive and a kick and a, and a kick to. To a great shot. And I would just love to see what these really good players did with better looks. But part of this is a shot quality issue too.

[Chris]

They'll. Possessions where they'll grab four offensive rebounds and all of them will lead to an open three and it'll. They'll miss all of them because they're rushed threes. They're like not within the flow of the offense or whatever. And yeah, sometimes, by the way, like sometimes those are the best types of threes. Don't get me wrong. But it just feels like the starters like the Chris Stops and Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, Drew Holiday, who we know to be a really, really good lineup, have not been performing the way we'd expect them recently. The starter shot 7 of 25 from 3 tonight, which is just not what you need from a team that is. Leads the league in three point attempts. So they got, they got to find something. It is a bit of like 3 point luck plus poor defense.

[Mike]

That's the defense bigger problem to me than the three point luck because the three point luck I expect to swing back around. But the defense, like these are the habits that you're supposed to build that, that carry you into the playoffs and it hasn't looked good. I, I do want to note though, Drew Holiday's been banged up, Derrick White's been banged up. They look like it often in these games and so maybe that's part of this, but I don't Know, I'm starting to feel uncomfortable about the Celtics.

[Chris]

Speaking of, I will say Raptors, they might be, you know, I know you like good, bad teams. They might be on the good, bad team eventually.

[Mike]

So many games. I mean, they've been in a lot of games. And it's the execution down the stretch.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Mike]

That is executed to perfection to make them lose that has cost them games. But this is a competitive team. They've got talent and they've got, I mean, I think like youth with high motor gets you a long way in a regular season too, so. But, man, they're messing up that draft pick. Let's talk about the Wolves lost to the Warriors. We've been talking the last few days about the weird vibes around the warriors just seemingly waving the white flag. Steph and Steve Kerr and Draymond talking about not mortgaging the future and be irresponsible. So here I am thinking, okay, well, they're going into Minnesota. They're going to get just blasted. Anthony Edwards going to go for 50. And it wasn't that. I mean, the warriors, they jump out to a big lead early. They wind up holding off a late comeback by the Timberwolves to win by 1.16,115. Steph Curry hit seven threes. Kind of a reminder, hey, look, I'm still at this high level.

[Chris]

Exactly.

[Mike]

But this game was weird because I just didn't. The warriors, and it's not like this is a team that's going to roll over, but there was no Draymond. The vibes have been so weird. And the Timberwolves seemingly were, were, you know, have a little bit more to lose if they lose this game. And it didn't feel like it when I was watching it.

[Chris]

Yeah, it's funny because the warriors are a team that is going through a major identity crisis and the Wolves are a team that like, overarching season identity crisis of figuring out who they are and what they want to be. So it's two teams that, like, ended up on this collision course of we are trying not to lose, but maybe we are not good enough to not lose. And you could see that at the end of the game, just mistake after mistake. There was a fumble, out of bounds play. There was the bad foul calls. There were bad shot attempts from a couple of the players too. And you're. You're thinking to yourself, like, Mance, the. This team, both of these teams are trying to lose this game because it just. It was poorly executed. I think it was a tale of two halves, though. Right. Warriors shooting in the first half was just awesome with Steph Curry and Buddy Hill just going off. And in the second half, you saw Dante DiVincenzo get back into the game. You saw Anthony Edwards be aggressive and assertive. I think he had, I don't know how many free throws he exactly had, but he was just very, very aggressive at getting to the cup tonight, which I thought was a huge part of it. Will note that the, the end lineup, the closing lineup for the Wolves did not include Julius Randall, right. Five man group with Edwards, McDaniels, Dante DiVincenzo, Rudy Gobert and Nas Reed. So.

[Mike]

And Nas Reed, by the way, making plays on the defensive end, got a big block, got a big rebound and like stuff that just we hadn't seen out of Randall on that end. And again, we've talked all year about motor and what Nas Reed has brought, including the three point spacing. I'm going to ask you a question. Yeah. Should they make one more lineup change now that they. I mean, this is just their most successful lineup. It makes the most sense on paper. I mean, Dante DiVincenzo gets to go off, right, because of Nas Reed.

[Sam Amick]

He was awesome.

[Mike]

Extra space. You think they need to make this lineup change to compete?

[Chris]

I do. I think they need to, yes, eventually. Do I think they will? No, I don't think they will. I think, I think like they. Unless they somehow find another home for Julius Randle and they reroute him to go and add other pieces and whatnot, I don't, I don't think that's what they would end up doing. It is, I will say not all of it is Julius Randle's fault. Like this is being exasperated by a fact that Mike Conley is not the ball handler that he used to be. And you know, the shooting in general between McDaniels and some of their other players is not where it needs to be to have the spacing for Edwards and Randle. But to your point, Nazrid is a much better three point shooter. He works much better defensively and it just makes that lineup make much more sense. So does it work? Yes, it should.

[Mike]

Will they do that?

[Chris]

I don't know.

[Mike]

Hey, take a lot of go.

[Chris]

Chris Finch did say, like, this is not the starting lineup change I want to do when he moved Mike Conley. Maybe he does it again, who knows?

[Mike]

Yeah. Take a lot of guts to do that. We had Zach Edie versus Victor, Women, Yama, the Grizzlies versus the Spurs. Grizzlies win this one. Look Victor Wimanyama has a target on his face when he's underneath the basket. Zach Edie got him. Yeah, just clean. Just two big giant guys under the rim. But the Ja Morant dunk that didn't count is probably the one that everyone is seeing all day long today.

[Chris]

I think that's like the greatest dunk to never count.

[Mike]

You know what we say, this is a lot of dunks, but it's the best one I've seen in the last couple of weeks that didn't count. And he. He got him. I mean, John Morant, like these guys on the Grizzlies, this is all they want to do. I mean, if you think back to that. That Rockets game the other night, these guys are just trying to catch a poster on whoever's in front of the room.

[Chris]

Can you imagine? Jaw a few weeks ago said he's done dunking, he doesn't want to dunk anymore.

[Mike]

That was a little bit of a I lost my smile moment, right?

[Chris]

Yeah, yeah. And then he. He actually jumps after the whistle is called. So to your point, target on his back for sure.

[Mike]

Yeah. Also, hey, we got a question. Got hit up on Blue sky by longtime listener to the show, RMJ B Sky. I don't even know how to use the. The handles on. On Blue Sky. It's probably a good thing. And he asked a basketball question and a non basketball question, so I figured, hey, let's do it on the show. And this is a pretty good one. And leads into our conversation right after the break that we're having with Sam Amick. Here's the question. The Bucks and the Suns met in the 2021 finals. Since that time, which team has been the bigger disappointment?

[Chris]

That's a tough one because I think you could argue either way. Yeah, I mean, multiple first round or, like, disappointing playoff performances. You could kind of blame the Buck situation on Giannis getting hurt. They've gone for years. Yeah, both years, I would say. Both teams have been aggressive in their approach.

[Mike]

Right.

[Chris]

The Suns went out and got kd. They went out and got Bradley Beal. They went out and traded Deandre Ayton.

[Mike]

All that type of stuff.

[Chris]

The Bucks also traded for Damian Lillard, so they haven't been, like, shy about trying to go for things being a disappointment, though I feel like it might have to be the Suns because they've doubled down so much into what they're trying to do. And it always felt short of what could really be a contender because of the duplication of kd, Booker and Beal and how that core would work together in general, it always kind of felt like fool's gold for them to even go after that. So I would say Phoenix.

[Mike]

I would look, it's even more clear. It is definitely Phoenix because number one, the Bucks won the title and that matters quite a bit.

[Chris]

True.

[Mike]

Yeah. And you, you could say, hey, they've also got Giannis, who's arguably the best player in the world and maybe should have had two. It's very hard to win two in a row, as we know, no matter who you have. I mean, Jokic didn't do it either.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Mike]

So I would say just straight up that for sure it's the Suns who've been bigger disappointment, but then they also hired the coach that beat them in the finals when he was coaching for the Bucks. So I think that that's pretty, pretty clear right there.

[Chris]

That's true.

[Mike]

If you can't beat them, hire them when they get fired. Right. Like that's what they've done. That's disappointment. The non basketball question. Now this one is going to be controversial. And guys, make sure if you're watching on YouTube, hit us in the comments. Let us know your answer because I want to see what the consensus is on this one. How many days s in the fridge is too many days for leftover pizza?

[Chris]

This is a great question, by the way, because I enjoy pizza and I actually had leftover pizza today, funny enough, but it was leftover from the. From yesterday. Yes. My max is like two days.

[Mike]

Okay.

[Chris]

I think two day is. Is a good max. I enjoy cold pizza. I could go for a cold pizza. Do you like cold pizza?

[Mike]

Yeah, I love cold pizza.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Mike]

I could go for the next day. Yeah.

[Chris]

No problem. Not a problem for me. So I do two days. How about you?

[Mike]

I usually look if the pizza is good and I. It's gone pretty quickly. Yeah, it's got to be gone pretty quickly. And also good pizza just doesn't really last that long. I'm not a big reheating guy.

[Chris]

Yeah.

[Mike]

So if I don't eat it by the next day, I usually am going to just chuck it. Now I would say the second day.

[Chris]

I might be with you there.

[Mike]

Cold breakfast. I don't feel like doing anything like oatmeal wise when I'm going to take the dog out. Okay. I'll have it on the second day. But no, guys, stick around after the break. You are not going to believe what Sam Amig said when I asked him this question. Well, we got our first trade of. Really first trade of trade Season today. And so we had to get the guy who has his ear to the ground in the NBA. He just put out his notebook yesterday with all the things that he's hearing. Sam Amick, my personal NBA insider and our insider at the Athletic. Sam, I gotta ask you first, most importantly, how many days in the fridge is too many for leftover pizza? What's the limit?

[Sam Amick]

I'm gonna pull the curtain back a little bit. We workshop this.

[Mike]

We did. And your answer is insane to me.

[Sam Amick]

I said the number that came to my. Which I'll share in a minute. But the reaction has got me second guessing myself.

[Mike]

Be honest.

[Chris]

Be honest.

[Mike]

I just want to hear it.

[Sam Amick]

Yeah, I said, I said five. I mean, we got some, we got some good pizza joints in my town. You know, it's like good ingredients. I, I trust the process.

[Chris]

You trust the process.

[Mike]

Wow.

[Chris]

Five days.

[Mike]

That's amazing. Now are you reheating it at five days or is it just okay? This is. I'm desperate. Cold pizza.

[Sam Amick]

I'm not a. Talk about a hot take. No pun intended. I'm not a cold pizza guy. Oh, wow.

[Chris]

I'm a big cold pizza guy. I could go for some cold pizza. Yeah, yeah.

[Mike]

Anyway, if the pizza is good, it's not lasting that long. That's my take. There you go. Let's look, let's get to the, to the meat of what's happening in the NBA right now. And I think the, the most prominent guy on everyone's radar is Jimmy Butler. And in your piece that you put out, you mentioned a team that hasn't really been mentioned with Jimmy Butler, and that's the Milwaukee Bucks. I've said them a couple times on the show to s raising eyebrows and he actually seems to like to fit. But yeah. Can you give us any more information on Milwaukee and like, how serious are they about a potential Jimmy Butler trade? Because, you know, this is kind of their window. Right?

[Sam Amick]

Yeah. So I would put this in the category of just things to monitor. Not trying to sit here and, and take that spotlight and put it fully on Milwaukee by any means. Admittedly, the main reason that I looked into this particular topic was because it had been reported that Memphis and Milwaukee were told by Jimmy's camp to not pursue him. That he did not have any hopes or dreams of a long term future in either of those cities. Now, admittedly, in terms of my reporting style, I've got a real aversion to. I don't like, you know, pushing back on stuff that is out there just professionally. That's not Always something I love to do, but I also kind of want to make sure that we have stuff correct. And I was told by both sides that Milwaukee was not told that they are out. Now, to the question of, you know, how they see the situation, are they interested in Jimmy? I would just say stay tuned. I think the background that is worth remembering is that, you know, a couple basic things, right? We know Milwaukee is underperformed. When they got beat the other night by the Knicks, really badly. Giannis got my eyebrows raised when he talked after the game about how they were 0 and 8 against the top three teams in the East. They have a history of going after big fish, if you will, obviously, with Damien Lillard coming to town that way. And they have a short Runway when it comes to age. And I think a level of desperation, potentially, that if I was in that front office with John Horst and their group kicking this idea around, I think it would at least be worth chewing on.

[Chris]

It's interesting to talk about the Bucs and the urgency that they have, but what about from the Miami Heat side? Because they have that player option, right, that they, you know, Jimmy Butler has that player option that he can opt into this summer. It's possible that they can kind of hold out until the summer if they want to. Do they feel a level of urgency given the fact that Jimmy is going to come back from this suspension and maybe they end up extending this extension? Who knows? Who knows? Do they feel a level of urgency to get this done before the trade deadline or maybe even. Maybe even later than that?

[Sam Amick]

You know, so they. They are signaling patience, which is obviously the prudent thing to do.

[Chris]

Right.

[Sam Amick]

You know, again, I'm going to go back to the old stay tuned kind of label on this one, because as we get to the end of this week and we have the Miami Denver game on Friday, where all eyes are going to be on Miami and how the Heat handled Jimmy's return. As I reported, he does plan on showing up and clocking in. He doesn't want to lose any more money. He's already lost about 2.3 million. And so that side is kind of clear. Are the Heat going to put him on the floor? Are they going to set. And I'm just hypothesizing, are they going to send him home but pay him? Which is. There's a gray area in terms of the league rules. Whether or not you can do that, we don't really know. So the urgency to me is going to. Or the lack thereof, is going to depend on how Uncomfortable, is it when he comes back? Because I do think as much as they are preaching patience, they've got some elite basketball players on that team, some pros who want to accomplish things, and I don't think want to spend the next three months with this hanging over their head, Bama being number one. I think sometimes we forget about the human part of these situations because pragmatically, yes, the best chess move is to wait for the summertime and just tell Jimmy to get over it. It just. It's never that easy.

[Mike]

Yeah. Listen, let's talk about the team that seems to be in the pole position to get Jimmy Butler, just because from what we know, that's his preferred destination. And it seems like they've got a contract waiting for him. That's the Suns. They made a trade. They got Nick Richard. Richard. Excuse me. So they're improving their defense a little bit. You see, like they're trying to improve this team. What's the latest on them getting Jimmy and, like, how realistic is it for. For that team?

[Sam Amick]

Har. I admittedly don't have clarity here, Mike. We, you know, it's one of those things where, man, the, the vast kind of difference between the narratives and the information on both sides is tough to reconcile. And by that I mean that, you know, all kinds of. Of extremely strong smoke signals that Phoenix has pursued this heavily. And it's a priority and it's something where they want Jimmy in house. Matt Ispia being the guy who chased down Kevin Durant, chased down Bradley Beal. You know, this is kind of his ethos and he wants Jimmy to be a part of this team. Now, by the way, quick subplot that I know you guys are aware of. Sun's CEO, Josh Bartlestein, is the son, no pun intended, of Mark Bartlestein, Bradley Beal's longtime agent. So you've got this father, son dynamic that is really, really fascinating. And you have Mark, who I spoke to on the phone earlier this week, continuing to be comfortable publicly stating that there is absolutely nothing going on between the Suns and the Heat that relates to Bradley Beal. He says he has not talked to Brad about potentially waiving his no trade clause. That is obviously the biggest factor in a potential Heat Suns deal. And considering that Brad going either to Miami, which the Heat are known to not want Brad at the moment. They did in the past, not anymore. Or to a third team, like, that's the only way to really get this done. And so that's where it doesn't add up. I don't Think they're going to shock the world and, and send Devin Booker to Miami. So that is where, you know, I don't know, maybe Jimmy doesn't get what he wants and that to swing it back to the Milwaukee thing or another team like Milwaukee. I do think that could be where this story goes next, is that Jimmy might not get to where he wants to go and then he's got to consider some other options.

[Chris]

Going to be interesting. It's funny, there is a team that knows all about Jimmy Butler and contract extensions. It's the Chicago Bulls because now they're.

[Mike]

Drivers, if you will, which I loved in your article.

[Chris]

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

[Sam Amick]

I got a 15 year old who just got his permit. It was on my mind.

[Mike]

So perfect.

[Chris]

Well, they're in a tough position, like a bad driver, I guess. But look, they're good, but probably too good to keep their pick. And now with Zach Levine, Nick Levochevich, Lonzo, the contract situations looming for Ball as well. What have you heard from the Bull side and what they might do?

[Sam Amick]

So, you know, it's just kind of this angst from parts of the league. Teams that would potentially like to get something done with a Zach Levine with Anika Bosevich or Alonzo Ball, where, you know, if I'm being frank about it, they continue to just look at Chicago on the other side of the negotiating table and just be shrugging like, like, at what point are you going to realize this is the hand you have, it's time to play. And to give the listeners and the viewers the quick math, the Bulls have to finish in the bottom six to absolutely guarantee that they hold on to their pick. If they are the seventh worst team in the NBA, then, and it's, it's real small, but a 3% chance of getting the, you know, of losing their pick. And from there then you're Talking about a 75% chance if they're the 8th worst team, you know, then you're kind of giving it up. In this day and age where the CBA is structured in such a way that lottery picks are just absolutely integral to a team's building or rebuilding, it seems just absolutely insane for most teams or to most teams for them to give this pickup right now, considering that nobody thinks that Zach has a long term future in Chicago or, or Vuj or, you know, Alonzo's a different discussion. Maybe they want to get something done with him, but admittedly we don't ever know all of the details about what's being put on the table and what they're saying no to. But the general idea is that they're asking prices continue to be higher than, you know, some other teams believe should be based on their situation. And what those teams are counting on is the clock. Right. And the idea that go ahead, keep winning. Because if you want to be bottom six in the NBA, even though they kind of claim they don't the, you know, you need to be literally in the neighborhood of a.300 winning percentage and then they're pushing.500 right now.

[Mike]

Yeah. Again, they, they have too many good players to just bottom out. They're going to have to get rid of these guys and it's a shame because they're a fun team to watch and they're always in entertaining games. Sam, thanks for catching us up on all this stuff. Obviously, you're a must read every single week, so go and do that over at the Athletic. That's going to do it for us today. For Esperahenny and Sam AMICK, I'm Dave DeFore and this has been the NBA Daily. Thanks for waking up with us.

[Chris]

Eat cold pizza.

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[Mike]

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[Sam Amick]

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