In another update on the Jimmy Butler saga, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer are reporting that the New Orleans Pelicans are the latest team to potentially throw their name into the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes. The report states that while they don’t know how serious the Pelicans are about landing Butler, any deal they make will involve Brandon Ingram, who has been on the trade block for the Pelicans.
“The New Orleans Pelicans have this week registered interest in trading for Butler, league sources tell The Stein Line.”
“The extent of New Orleans’ interest was not immediately clear, but sources say that a firm offer from the Pelicans would be built around the $36 million expiring contract of Brandon Ingram. New Orleans has been navigating its own trade scenarios for Ingram after the Pelicans — like Miami with Butler — were unable to reach an extension agreement with the former All-Star this past offseason.”
“Sources told The Stein Line that the Pelicans, after Ingram’s $36 million expiring contract had been discussed by rival teams in various trade proposals designed to help facilitate Butler’s Miami exit, decided to approach the Heat themselves about swapping Ingram for Butler.”
They added in the report that a prospect like Brandon Ingram would give the Miami Heat pause, and could entice them into making a trade. The Pelicans now join the Warriors, Bucks, and Grizzlies among the teams who could potentially make a trade for Butler, although they stressed that none of the aforementioned teams have made a concrete trade offer to the Heat.
The Heat would prefer to get a deal done soon, as the saga has taken on a life of its own, and the franchise suspended Butler indefinitely, his third suspension in the space of a month.
“It is believed that the prospect of acquiring a player of Ingram’s caliber would certainly get the Heat’s attention, given that Miami is openly motivated to make the playoffs this season.”
“New Orleans, meanwhile, has essentially joined Golden State, Milwaukee, and Memphis in a grouping of teams that have all contemplated trading for Butler even though he has not angled to land with any of them. All of these teams have the wherewithal to make a Butler trade but, for varying reasons, have not yet made a fully committed play for the six-time NBA All-Star.”
This is the first time any interest from the Pelicans has been reported. And it does come out of nowhere, as unlike all of the other teams mentioned in the Butler race, the Pelicans are the only team that doesn’t have a shot at making a competitive playoff run.
So for them to throw their hat into the Jimmy Butler race is quite interesting. One can understand their desire to get rid of Brandon Ingram considering his reluctance to re-sign with them, but for them to take on the contract of Jimmy Butler, who also becomes a free agent this summer, is quite odd.
Butler reportedly wants to end his career with whichever team he goes to next and hopes to compete for an NBA championship. Given that the Pelicans are one of the worst teams in the NBA, currently sitting 14th in the West with a 12-36 record, the second-worst in the entire NBA, they are a long way away from competing for a championship.
Perhaps the Pelicans have a more layered plan, and landing Jimmy Butler is just a part of it. Stay tuned to Fadeaway World for the latest updates on this matter.
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