Via Bleacher Report
The following article is a combination of three teams' 31in30. The Miami Heat, Minnesota Timberwolves, and to a very lesser extent Brooklyn Nets have teetered on the possibility of moving the star shooting guard to the point where their season preview had to be pushed to one day before tipoff. Rather than making three separate articles, the three teams will be linked together as they were all offseason. A rundown of the team's situation within the saga will be followed by their best and worst-case scenarios. Now to the drama...
Via ESPN
From a "get your f*cking house together, mother f*cker" to a "you f*cking need me", the Minnesota Timberwolves' offseason was filled with f-bombs and drama spawned from a disgruntled star. According to Jimmy Butler, the 29-year-old shooting guard let his frustration be known to Timberwolves president and head coach Tom Thibodeau just four days after the team's first-round exit.
Last offseason, Minnesota committed to Andrew Wiggins in the form of a five-year, $148 million contract, while team owner Glen Taylor expressed his desire for a reciprocation of commitment by stating he needed Wiggins to have "a commitment to be a better player." In year one of the new contract, the 23-year-old wing didn't deliver, as his scoring averages dropped from 23.6 to 17.7 and his athleticism was pushed to the side (6.6 nightly free-throw attempts to 3.8) for more jump shots (3.5 nightly three-point attempts to 4.1). Some, like Andrew Wiggins' brother, may attribute Wiggins' statistical decline to Jimmy Butler's arrival, but the Bill Self product's second season disputes that; his year two shot attempts are nearly identical to the year Butler arrived (16.0 to 15.9) and he played fewer minutes per game (35.1 to 36.3), yet Wiggins still managed to average three more points in year two than he did in year four.
Karl Anthony-Towns also saw a dip in his scoring averages (25.1 to 21.3) following the addition of Jimmy Butler; but, unlike Andrew Wiggins, Towns showed a noticeable increase in efficiency, as he managed to keep his field goal percentage well above 50 percent while jumping from a respectable 37 percent three-point shooter to a deadly 42 percent marksman. Between his top-10 player efficiency rating (24.9) and only being 22-years-old, it came as no surprise when Minnesota decided to lock the seven-footer up on a five-year, $190 million supermax contract extension.
However, it was the big man's lack of postseason production that raised doubt in the minds of Timberwolves' fans and Jimmy Butler alike, in regards to just how special Karl Anthony-Towns really is. The budding star cowered in every sense of the word, as his averages dipped to 15.2 points on 47 percent field goal shooting and an abysmal 27 percent from deep. Not only did the promising young big go from an unstoppable offensive force to a forgotten member of the game, he looked like he was in need of some D-Aspartic Acid, as his shot attempts decreased from 14.3 a game to 12.0.
Though far less publicized Jimmy Butler went through a similar playoff decline as KAT. The shooting guard saw his scoring averages drop from 22.1 to 15.8, his field goal percentage fall from 47 percent to 44 percent, and his shot attempts dip from 15.6 per game to 12.6. However, Minnesota was less willing to unload money on the 29-year-old Jimmy Butler as they were on the 22-year-olds Karl Anthony-Towns and Andrew Wiggins, offering Butler a four-year, $110 million contract.
And that's how we got here...
Via ESPN
Minnesota's Best Case Scenario: Jimmy Butler's practice antics spark a fuse under Karl Anthony-Towns and Andrew Wiggins, as the three play out the season with something to prove and push each other, along with the franchise, to new heights.
The best case scenario seems to already be playing out, as the team and Butler have come to an agreement towards suiting up; while Andrew Wiggins is on record saying, " Jimmy is someone you want on your team."
Minnesota's Worst Case Scenario: An offseason filled with turmoil becomes a season filled with turmoil. Jimmy Butler questioning the work ethic of two of the team's most talented players can result in two outcomes.
The first outcome was the best-case scenario and the second outcome is a divided locker room.
Kevin Garnett summed up the entire situation perfectly, with his "it's a sh*tstorm up there," being the best summary for Minnesota's offseason and possibly their regular season.
Record Prediction: 40-42; Some things you can't come back from.
Miami Heat
Via ClutchPoints
A sunbathing, slicked hair Pat Riley lays on a Miami beach with a championship ring on every finger. Normally the calmest presence within whatever 50-mile radius he stands, something has the basketball legend visibly upset. The raspy lozenge-needing voice of Tom Thibodeau can be overheard; he wants Riley to throw in Bam Adebayo, along with the already offered Josh Richardson and the team's 2019 first-round draft pick in exchange of the talents of Jimmy Butler and the swallowing of Gorgui Dieng's $48 million contract.
Riley, recognizing the value of two-way wing Josh Richardson and the potential of Bam Adebayo, responded how only in a way only he can -- by giving hurtful advice. That advice came in the form of "get your f*cking house together, mother f*cker"
The irony in the advice is that Miami's proverbial house is one strong gust of wind from crumbling over. An intervention between star center Hassan Whiteside (yes, star, his 24.18 player efficiency rating places him above other certified star centers like DeMarcus Cousins, Andre Drummond, and Rudy Gobert) and head coach Erik Spoelstra after the big man averaged just 15 minutes a game in a first-round playoff defeat against Joel Embiid and the 76ers. $52 million-man Dion Waiters showed up to training camp visibly out of shape following a season in which he played just 30 games. Oh, and savior of the franchise Dwyane Wade announced the 2018-2019 season will be his last.
Knowing the state of the franchise, Pat Riley should send Thibodeau a Lozenge package and whatever other package gets Jimmy Butler in a Miami uniform.
Miami's Best Case Scenario: Minnesota gets desperate to ship Butler and the Heat obtain Wade's successor while giving the Hall of Fame shooting guard one last chance to compete in the East.
Erik Spoelstra is a perennial Coach of the Year candidate and has managed to keep Miami from ever truly needing to rebuild post-Big-3 era, coaching the team to the playoffs two of the four years. Miami is almost synonymous to another requested Butler team, the Los Angeles Clippers, in having one of the league's best-supporting casts with no one to play the lead role. An eight-man rotation of Goran Dragic, Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, (an in-shape) Dion Waiters, Justice Winslow, James Johnson, Tyler Johnson, and Hassan Whiteside, coached by Erik Spoelstra, is enough to be considered legitimate Eastern Conference contenders.
Miami's Worst Case Scenario: Both sides stay stubborn and the highlight of Dwyane Wade's last season is another first-round exit.
A team can only go so far without a bonafide star to carry them. As underrated as Hassan Whiteside is, his star power shines when he can play off others. The current makeup of the Miami Heat gives Whiteside and the Heat no consistent piece to lean on.
Record Prediction: 55-27, Pat Riley pulls the trigger and it pays off.
Brooklyn Nets
Via Medium
It seems as though even the Brooklyn Nets were surprised by Jimmy Butler including them in his list of desired teams, as the team has paid no attention to the possibility of expediting their rebuild process; or perhaps, under new front office personnel, these aren't the same 'trade first regret later' Nets the NBA world has laughed at for so long.
The latter seems to be the case. Spurs prodigy Sean Marks led the Nets to one of the better offseasons of any NBA team. No big names were acquired, but Marks managed to lock up young talents Ed Davis, Joe Harris, and Shabazz Napier for the next two years with a combined total of $23 million.
That young talent will be matched with an already impressive young core of D'Angelo Russell, Caris Levert, Jarrett Allen, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Spencer Dinwiddie. If healthy, Brooklyn has enough pieces to win a respectable amount of games; and even if they don't, for the first time in a long time, losing is okay because the Nets own the rights to their first-round draft pick. Thanks to the smart maneuvering of Sean Marks, the Nets are in no rush to obtain Jimmy Butler, as they can see the sunset with or without the star shooting guard.
Brooklyn's Best Case Scenario: The Brooklyn Nets stay patient and healthy, as their young core has a successful audition for the long list of star 2019 free agents.
A simple search of 'Brooklyn Nets 2019' will bring up a number of videos and articles from basketball analysts raving over the quiet rebuild the team executed. With the ability to sign two max free agents this Summer, all Brooklyn needs to do is put this season on simulate for it to be successful.
Brooklyn's Worst Case Scenario: Brooklyn grows impatient and sends some of their young pieces to Minnesota for a player they could wait on with no cost to them.
An inability for D'Angelo Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie to coexist would be a nagging storyline for Brooklyn fans to endure; but, trading for Jimmy Butler would be just as bad as it is illogical. The Nets hold the power to have their cake and eat it too, trading for Butler would be Sean Marks smashing his face in the cake then wondering why no one wants to eat any.
Record Prediction: 33-49; Patience is key.