Thanks for the update, Chipper.
Yeah, my guess as well is that Miami balked at including Adebayo.
Miami being fiscally proper - but Dieng is a pretty good player - imagine - keeping salary mess out of it - how they could reign in the East with the addition of that duo - or at leastv give the top 3 a great run.
My sense of things is that Minny is not
trying to move Butler.
Thibs has a dim bulb of an owner, and it's pretty clear that both he and Layden are on the clock.
I am quite sure that Pat Riley feels as though Butler could be the missing piece towards possibly coming out of the East against Boston and Toronto, and that his organization's existing culture is such that it would transmute Butler and not the other way around.
Also not sure it's simply a matter of Miami being financially proper, vis a vis Dieng.
MIAMI has the HIGHEST PAYROLL in the NBA.
I believe it comes down more to the fact that Dieng would be kind of redundant, and that adding him and his salary to any deal would necessitate Miami giving back some more young talents to make the number line up: Adebayo, Winslow. Riles ain't going to do it.
And again, Minny is a contending team in the West with Butler. Taking back young players and draft picks puts Thibs back in re-build mode, and possibly on the unemployment line. He will try and out-wait Butler, unless his owner intervenes, which every day becomes more of a possibility, as he loses patience with Tom and Scott.
I believe most of the GMs in the league realize this, and as a result, are in no hurry to sweeten the pot.
Such as the Clippers? Sure, why not, but Jerry West didn't just fall off the back of a turnip truck, and he ain't going to include Tobias Harris in any deal. Danilo Gallinari? Sure, why not. Good enough for the Wolves? I doubt it.
Trading two starters and a #1 to the Bulls for Butler has blown up in Thibs' face. And whether the perception of Butler being an irascible type who does not get on with team mates is fair, that is the impression he is promulgating both through the timing of his demands, and the manner in which he has steadfastly refused to work out with his current team, even though he is still getting paid.
Patience is a virtue, and as opening day looms, who knows.
Scott Perry was exceptionally patient with Melo, and made an honest effort to get him to the team of his choice. When that boat had plainly sailed, and Perry had made it clear he was not going to be hog-tied into accepting a bad deal, having rekindled diplomatic relations with Anthony since the departure of Phool, he was able the day before training camp opened, to get Melo to relent and offer other teams he would accept a move to. Resulting in a good deal for both teams, though one year removed, a much better deal for NY than we had any hopes of seeing.
Can only figure that if this isn't Layden's approach, then he is trying to maneuver Butler into staying for his Coach. Difference is, that Perry was answering to Mills, as Dolan kept his distance, while in Wolves owner Glenn Taylor, a Thousand Sheets Longer Scott is a dealing with a considerably dimmer bulb...
And he wants Butler...G-O-N-E.
Stay tuned.
Poll
