On Sunday, Dec. 15, the green flag on the NBA trade season really drops. That’s when 85 players who signed new contracts (or extended old ones) become eligible to be traded, which makes far more deals possible and starts NBA trade season in earnest.
With that, trade rumors are moving into a simmer around the NBA — there is usually one trade between Dec. 15 and Jan. 15, it takes the pressure of the Feb. 6 trade deadline to turn the NBA trade market into a full boil. However, the rumors are starting to fly around, here are the latest big names and rumors around the league.
Jimmy Butler available
If you want some Real Housewives-level petty drama, we give you the Jimmy Butler trade saga: ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the Heat are open to listening to offers for Butler and that the six-time All-Star’s agent Bernie Lee had let it be known Butler wants to play for a contender and plans to exercise his player option for next season ($52.4 million, he’s seeking a new, longer contract). In a classic rant referencing Peter Vecsey and ChatGBT, Lee responded on X that Charania needs to stop using his name in “fictional” stories. Charania stood by his reporting.
That’s all great entertainment but ultimately meaningless.
The reality on the ground is that from the moment after last season when Pat Riley said the Heat weren’t going to extend Butler and wanted to see him on the court more — he played 60 games last season and missed the team’s playoff series against Boston — other front offices around the league thought Butler was available via trade. No doubt the Heat will listen to offers for Butler at the deadline. That said, Miami has won four in a row and looks like a team starting to find a groove — Miami is notoriously an organization that lets things play out and makes its moves in the offseason — so temper expectations.
Making that trade is also far less likely than anyone seems to want to admit. The NBA’s new CBA, with its tax aprons and trade restrictions on teams near them, make this nearly an impossible trade to make at the deadline — at least with any team Butler wants to play for. Friend of this…
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