NBA Rumors: Latest on Jimmy Butler Trade, Kawhi Leonard and More
It isn't hyperbole to suggest the start of the 2019 NBA free agency period was its wildest iteration yet.
And Kawhi Leonard wasn't even among those who reportedly made decisions.
Even that sort of description doesn't do it justice. Kevin Durant announced he'd be joining the Brooklyn Nets. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan would join him. The Golden State Warriors reportedly traded for D'Angelo Russell, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.
And that's just a small sampling of what has been reported already, not to mention what could lie ahead. Here is a look at some of the rumblings still making the rounds.
Jimmy Butler
One of the things that didn't make the cut above?
Jimmy Butler got traded to the Miami Heat, at least reported by Wojnarowski. Charania said he'd get a four-year max.
That one felt a little too smooth from the jump, though. Miami was an obvious destination for Butler, who hasn't been shy about his love for the locale. But sign-and-trade arrangements are always prone to hitting snags.
According to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne, there could be one here: "The Heat is still working on options to complete the Jimmy Butler sign and trade with Philadelphia, according to a league source. Out of respect for Goran Dragic, the Heat are working with him and his representatives to find a trade partner by July 6."
Granted, this is as simple as eventually looping in another team to make the moving pieces work, but it's worth noting. Tim Cato of The Athletic reported a mishap with the deal that had the Heat thinking they were sending Dragic to the Dallas Mavericks, not other players.
Either way, Butler still figures to end up with the Heat, which means the arrival of a superstar in his prime for Pat Riley's team for the first time since the LeBron James-led Big Three. Butler averaged 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 46.1 percent from the floor last year in 55 games and is still just 29 years old.
That's a long way of writing it isn't too surprising the Heat were willing to blow things up for Butler. He's capable of carrying the team, though it should be interesting to see if he can lure other players to South Beach.
Knicks Comment on Kevin Durant
It is probably never a good sign when a team's front office has to apologize or offer an explanation mere hours after free agency opens.
So goes the state of the New York Knicks, though, who had a fanbase watch as Durant decided to go with the neighboring Nets, reportedly forming a superteam in the process.
Shelburne and Wojnarowski noted Knicks owner James Dolan wasn't prepared to offer Durant a max because of his recent Achilles injury.
Marc Stein of the New York Times then rolled out a comment from Knicks president Steve Mills: "While we understand that some Knicks fans could be disappointed with tonight's news, we continue to be upbeat and confident in our plans to rebuild the Knicks to compete for championships in the future, through both the draft and targeted free agents."
This fallout is going to chase the Knicks for a long time.
They had constantly positioned themselves as capable of getting the big fish in free agency. Much like the Los Angeles Lakers, it only seemed like a matter of time, and the fact the Lakers ended up getting LeBron James only built the anticipation further.
That the Knicks potentially had a shot at Durant and balked hurts, even more so because he ended up going to Brooklyn.
As an aside, there is a chance Durant misses all of next season while he rehabs. But the Nets thought it worth the risk and the alternative is being the Knicks, who turned around and settled for Julius Randle as their top prize, per Wojnarowski.
Hindsight will be the ultimate judge, but the Knicks are now intricately tied to Durant for all the wrong reasons, at least for now.
Kawhi Leonard
It was reasonable to presume Leonard news would be one of the major talking points to work its way down the pipe during the free-agent frenzy.
But it turns out he is willing to take his time.
According to Chris Haynes, Leonard didn't even get involved in the frenzy Sunday: "Kawhi Leonard will not take any meetings with teams today, as he'll ramp up the process over next couple days, league sources tell Yahoo Sports."
Maybe this wasn't too hard to see coming. While Durant and his camp weren't shy about listing the four teams he'd talk to, the only known commodity surrounding Leonard is the Lakers, with Brad Turner of the Los Angeles Times confirming a meeting is planned.
The Los Angeles Clippers also figure to be in the mix, with a return to the Toronto Raptors always a possibility, too. Wojnarowski had previously reported the Raptors will get a final chance no matter what happens.
Both L.A. teams have remained mostly quiet to match Leonard's pace so far, which is a big risk for both if he decides to re-up with the Raptors. That clearly shouldn't be counted out after he just won a title in Toronto, especially if he takes a look at the post-free-agency fray and doesn't feel like a serious threat emerged.
Once again, though, Leonard has worked himself to center stage, and the entire NBA waits to see what unfolds.
