The Jimmy Butler saga continues to put pressure not just on the Miami Heat, but on the NBA as a whole. The last time we had a similar situation was with James Harden in Philadelphia, when he announced before the season he would not suit up for the Sixers. But that situation was under old rules. The new NBA rules, including the CBA, have turned the Jimmy Butler saga into an even bigger mess.
NBA Rules Turning Butler Saga Into Complete Mess
This Friday, we can expect the crescendo of the Butler saga. He is eligible to play this Friday when the Heat host the Denver Nuggets. But will the Heat allow him to play? Will they trade him by then?
Over the last several games, the Heat PR department has done everything to prevent questions about Butler. Head coach Erik Spoelstra doesn’t answer any of those. If Butler doesn’t play this Friday, Miami could be facing a penalty from the league.
Under the new player participation policy, teams cannot have their All-Star players miss games for no particular reason. The Heat might find a way around it by placing him on the injured list. But how long will that last? Or, they can put him for five minutes at the beginning of the game, and sit him the rest of the way. There are loopholes around it, but none of them feel right at the moment. They cannot suspend him again. If they tell him to go home and not get near the team until the end of the season, the Heat will have to pay a hefty penalty. Here are some of the key aspects of the new policy:
- Teams benching a healthy player for recovery or load management, must provide an approved reason to the league.
- Teams cannot have more than one star player out per game.
- Teams have to make sure the player is still visible to fans from the bench.
- Star players must be available for all nationally televised games and the In-Season tournament games.
- Teams are not allowed to have players stop playing long-term without an injury.
For reference, the Nets were the first team to pay a fine in January last year. They paid $100,000 for sitting six players against the Milwaukee Bucks.
New CBA Preventing Butler to Phoenix Trade
The NBA made the new CBA to prevent teams from getting players when they are already high in luxury tax territory. Their goal was to prevent owners from spending money and make the league more balanced. Without it, teams like the Clippers and Suns, who have billionaire owners, could have paid millions in taxes without batting an eye.
The fun part is that under the old CBA, the Suns would have probably traded for Butler a month ago. Under the old rules, the Suns could have packaged a couple of contracts and sent them to Miami. For example, they could have packaged players like Royce O’Neale, Jusuf Nurkic, and Grayson Allen, add a pick, and a young player like Ryan Dunn or Oso Ighodaro, and make the trade work. Yes, their depth would be challenged, but they would have Butler, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal.
With the new CBA, the Phoenix Suns are a second-apron team. They cannot aggregate contracts, and cannot receive more salary than they send. To get Butler, they need Beal to waive his no-trade clause.
What Happens Now?
Despite all the mess, by Friday, there will be more clarity around Jimmy Butler. Even if the Heat do not trade him, they will probably shut him down for the season. According to reports, players like Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo have spoken about clarity and eliminating the distraction of Butler’s mood during his absence.
Butler met with my Pat Riley yesterday to reiterate his trade request. He will also meet with Miami owner Micky Arison, and Heat officials will meet to find a path forward for all sides.
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