Rockets general manager Daryl Morey tried. He was willing to mortgage Houston's future to take a flier on Jimmy Butler for less than a year, with no guarantee that Butler would be back when he becomes a free agent this summer. Not even four first-round picks weren't enough to entice Tom Thibodeau to part with his unhappy star, according to The Ahtletic's Shams Charania.
But now the Miami Heat are back in the mix, according to reports Friday morning.
The last we heard of the Heat, who have long been in the hunt for Butler, team President Pat Riley was denying the report he called Thibodeau a "motherfucker" after a last-second ask for a deal that was all-but-done to send Jimmy Butler to Miami in return for Dion Waiters (cap filler), Josh Richardson (low-key might be the best young talent on the team) and a protected first-round pick (probably to prevent the Wolves from a lottery selection should the Jimmy trade backfire).
Some say the timeline on a deal transpiring will happen sooner rather than later this season, likely closer to February's trade deadline as more contenders look to acquire someone to help get past the Warriors, but there's been nothing definitive from the more well-connected NBA reporters on the beat.
This morning, Thibodeau provided an update on the trade talks.
We hope this whole thing ends soon so we can see how Butler's trade re-jiggers the Association. He's that good, which is probably why Morey and Riley and likely many more are trying to finagle a deal with Thibodeau. While it might seem like an easy opportunity to get him on the cheap, Thibodeau is holding firm, which might ultimately net the Wolves a sweetheart offer he can no longer turn down. Though many already think the Rockets offered one.
