This was in ESPN Insider today. Thought this was interesting. ### How desperate are the Heat to get out from under Eddie Jones' contract? Several GMs told Insider on Monday that the Heat were trying to package Caron Butler along with Jones. That comes as a major surprise considering Butler's stellar rookie season with the Heat. Will it be enough to get a team to swallow the four years and $55.8 million remaining on Jones' contract? Maybe. "It's tempting," one GM told Insider. "I think everyone likes Butler a lot. You have to ask yourself, is getting the rights to Butler worth $55 million over the next four years." Would the Blazers do that deal for Rasheed Wallace? Wallace would give the Heat another big and a ton of cap room next summer. For Portland, Butler would be a nice young replacement for Wallace at small forward and the addition of Jones would free the Blazers up to move Bonzi Wells to a team like the Raptors for cap space in return.
I wonder how long a "Moochie+Griffin+Taylor+Cato+trade exemption for Butler-Jones" trade gets posted with the RealGM seal of approval.....
If I were the Blazers, I'd be all over that trade for sure. Randolph/Butler is a great nucleus to build around.
I haven't noted anyone buzzing around Portland to take their societal misfits. I keep hearing, as well, how ownership there wants to c-c-cut payroll. Taking on EJ won't help with that.
Man, who's the dumbass GM that ran the Heat into the ground? They have about half of the NBA's small forwards on their roster alone...
Hell if that would happen, we would BE the Heat, playing small ball while giving up 3 of our big man.
I'd move some crap their way if they really are desperate. Taylor, Moochie, whatever. I'd love Butler at the 3 long term. Jones at the 2 ain't half bad. Unfortunately, we'd have to give up a bit more talent. Maybe they'd take more crap with "potential", like EG and Cat. Shoot, I'd trade Steve. I'd rather have a nice future star 3 than a tweener, no d, turnover prone, bad-passing, dribble-addicted jack machine...and I like Steve, mostly. Just would rather have a passable FA point and Butler + Jones + big pf + Yao. I like the 3 spot to work with the 5 better.
I saw a couple on TV last year, I read stats, and I was at the Heat vs. Cavs game in the American Airlines arena about a week ago. Nothing I have seen has seemed "stellar" to me. Pretty good (definitely not in the game I have seen live!) maybe, but "stellar"?
I wouldn't trade Cat straight up for Jones, money aside. Butler is the one who makes any deal here work.
Butler is recently coming off an injury, so his numbers are WAY down early this year. Riley loved him, and so I bet JVG would as well. He was the leader of his UConn team, and can score in a variety of ways. He's actually something like Jim Jackson is now, except with a much higher ceiling both defensively and offensively. I think our priority as far as acquisitions go would have to be a good 4, but this is the type of situation where our trade exception could be handy...
Alright then . Houston trades: Eddie Griffin ( ppg, rpg, apg in minutes) John Amaechi ( ppg, rpg, apg in minutes) PG Moochie Norris (3.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 2.6 apg in 16.2 minutes) C Kelvin Cato (7.3 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 0.6 apg in 31.3 minutes) PF Maurice Taylor (9.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.0 apg in 23.5 minutes) Houston receives: SG Eddie Jones (20.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.6 apg in 35.9 minutes) PF Brian Grant (8.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 0.9 apg in 32.5 minutes) SF Caron Butler (5.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.8 apg in 24.8 minutes) Change in team outlook: +13.9 ppg, -1.1 rpg, and -0.9 apg. Miami trades: SG Eddie Jones (20.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.6 apg in 35.9 minutes) PF Brian Grant (8.6 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 0.9 apg in 32.5 minutes) SF Caron Butler (5.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.8 apg in 24.8 minutes) Miami receives: Eddie Griffin ( ppg, rpg, apg in games) John Amaechi ( ppg, rpg, apg in games) PG Moochie Norris (3.5 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 2.6 apg in 10 games) C Kelvin Cato (7.3 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 0.6 apg in 10 games) PF Maurice Taylor (9.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.0 apg in 4 games) Change in team outlook: -13.9 ppg, +1.1 rpg, and +0.9 apg. TRADE ACCEPTED Due to Houston and Miami being over the cap, the 15% trade rule is invoked. Houston and Miami had to be no more than 115% plus $100,000 of the salary given out for the trade to be accepted, which did happen here. This trade satisfies the provisions of the Collective Bargaining Agreement.
If I had to trade with Miami, I wouldn't try to trade for Eddie AND Grant........that's like over 100 million between those two alone!!
Stan Van Gundy, JVG's brother, is the new coach of the Miami Heat. Pat Riley quit coaching a few games before the season started, but he is still in the Heat front office.
Why is Butler available? Unless he's damaged goods or just not as good as everyone thought he is, it seems silly that they'd trade him just because he's recovering from an injury or to get out from under EJ's contract.
Well, they did sign Odom (who's really a 3), and Wade (who's really a 2). They're trying to play Odom/Wade as pseudo PGs-judging by their record, it's not working.
