. . . but there’s an obvious reason behind them.
Air Jordan 11?
Thought so.
Jimmy Butler’s out of the blue trade request from Minnesota was wild enough, but surely Jimmy’s playing when he says he wants to go to any of the three worst teams in the NBA right now. But it makes sense. ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reveals that the three teams Butler reportedly prefers all have space for a max contract.
Minnesota’s Jimmy Butler has three preferred destinations for a trade, league sources tell ESPN: The Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks. Those three teams have max cap space to sign Butler as a free agent in July.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) 19 September 2018
Well shit, Jimmy. Secure that bag. Apart from the cash, those cities give the All-Star the opportunity to both play and market in gigantic markets. It makes tNew York and Los Angeles viable destinations in so many ways. But realistically, Jimmy won’t be leading any of these three to the Finals.
But for the franchises themselves? Let’s look at the likely scenarios.
The Nets finally have draft picks again and are a team modestly on the rise. But there’s no obvious hypothetical second option for the long term, as D’Angelo Russell is still awfully young and an unfortunate injury risk.
The Clippers? Please. Unless Kawhi Leonard comes too, the team’s ceiling is the No. 8 seed, as the West just keeps getting better.
The Knicks are intriguing, as they figure to be major players in free agency in the coming years. But with rumors that Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving are their most-favored targets, are they going to blow a max contract on a guy like Butler, who won’t move the needle in terms of excitement at a place like MSG? That would be a massive leap of faith.
All told, this is a situation in which the more we know, the less we know. Jimmy Buckets is famously surly, and could change his mind on a dime as soon as the dust settles, to say nothing of emotions.
Air Jordan 11.
Read These
Keep ScrollingServing up your next slice of heat