NBA

Details Emerge About Jimmy Butler’s ‘Promise’ With Heat

Phoenix Suns v Miami Heat
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Jimmy Butler spent more than five seasons with the Miami Heat and, for a time, was the centerpiece of their plans and culture.

But things soured quickly between Butler and the team, and he was sent to the Golden State Warriors last season.

Now, some inside reporting from Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald is casting a light on how things fell apart.

Apparently, the Heat were assured that Butler would play well and be on his best behavior.

He didn’t, and that put the team in a very difficult spot.

“A Heat source said Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, promised Miami that Butler would comport himself well last season and would never complain about not getting a contract extension. That proved to be untrue, leaving the Heat without any bargaining position at the trade deadline. In retrospect, the Heat should have sought that assurance directly from Butler last July,” Jackson wrote.

Butler was reportedly unhappy with his position on the team and Miami’s prospects.

He didn’t want to play for a team that was struggling and refusing to use him as often as he wanted.

There were reports that stated he refused to practice, missed plane flights, and constantly had a bad attitude.

The Heat suspended him multiple times and got to work at finding a new home for him.

When he was finally sent to the Warriors, he had left such a bad taste in the mouths of all Miami fans that his legacy with that team is now tarnished.

But he seems to be much happier with Golden State, and the Heat are attempting to carve out a path without him.

It’s shocking to hear how bad things got between the Heat and Butler, but it’s clear that this relationship had come to a traumatic and undeniable end.

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John Wall Lands A New Media Job

Washington Wizards v Houston Rockets
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John Wall just announced his retirement from the NBA, but he isn’t staying away from the sport he loves so much.

According to Legion Hoops, John Wall is joining Amazon Prime’s NBA coverage in the new season.

Basketball fans haven’t seen much of Wall over the last few years, so they will be excited to get as much as they can from him.

Wall spent 11 seasons in the NBA but announced that he was hanging up his jersey for good earlier this week.

Wall hasn’t been on the court since the 2022-23 season, when he spent 34 games with the Los Angeles Clippers.

It had been years since he played a full season, but there was a time when he was one of the most aggressive and helpful players in the league.

He got his start with the Washington Wizards, where he made a name for himself as a gifted scorer and terrific passer.

Wall has great knowledge about the game, and he will bring that to his Amazon coverage.

The media company has been aggressive, putting together a strong group of experts to call games.

They obviously want to make a huge impact during their first season covering the association.

It’s very likely that Wall had this deal figured out before he revealed his retirement.

He will get to work right away, because the new season is starting soon, and Wall has to prepare himself for the long year ahead in his new position.

Years ago, Wall was one of the most remarkable players in the NBA, and now he will be on the sidelines giving fans his expert opinions.

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Jrue Holiday Names Hardest Celtics Player To Defend

Orlando Magic v Boston Celtics - Game One
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Jrue Holiday is about to begin his first season with the Portland Trail Blazers, which means he will soon battle against his former team, the Boston Celtics.

Holiday obviously has very exclusive knowledge about the team and well-founded opinions about the best players in the lineup.

According to Legion Hoops, Holiday said that Payton Pritchard was the hardest player to defend in Boston.

Holiday was only playing against Pritchard during practices up until recently, but now he will battle him on the court in the new season.

Holiday may be afraid of guarding Pritchard, but he’s no slouch either.

He has always been very hard to defend and produced 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists for the Celtics last season.

He started in all 62 of his games, while Pritchard stayed on the second unit.

But he did amazing things off the bench, and earned his first Sixth Man of the Year trophy.

His average of 14.3 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists impressed the Celtics.

He did so well that most reports say he has earned a place in the starting lineup for the new season.

Because of the team’s multiple changes in the offseason, Pritchard is going to get many more opportunities.

That means he will be front and center during most games and will show everyone, including Holiday, how difficult it is to stop him.

Many people were shocked when Holiday was moved from the Celtics at the start of the offseason.

Now he will get a chance to teach the Blazers everything he can in order to take Boston down in the new season.

He knows that Pritchard will be tough to slow down, but Holiday is up for the challenge.

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Draymond Green Fires Back At Alperen Sengun’s Comments

Houston Rockets v Golden State Warriors - Game Three
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A war of words is brewing between the Golden State Warriors and the Houston Rockets.

It all started when Alperen Sengun had some choice words for the Warriors, claiming they were “crying” about fouls during the playoffs, but committed plenty of their own.

Draymond Green, never one to back away from a fight, took those words personally and responded.

“That’s a tough thing to say after you lose… You have to win to stuff like that,” Green posted on social media, via NBACentral.

But he wasn’t done, and Green fired more shots after that.

“Hold that L,” he replied to another post.

Is this the beginning of something bitter between these two talented stars?

The Warriors and Rockets duked it out during the playoffs, with Golden State ultimately coming out on top and putting the Rockets away after seven games.

In the end, the Warriors’ experience won out, but that might not be the case next year.

The Rockets have been one of the busiest teams during the offseason, and they are obviously attempting to become one of the best teams in the West.

They are aiming to take down the Warriors and anyone else in their way.

Sengun and Green butted heads during their previous series, and they will surely battle again in the future.

Knowing these two, this won’t be the last time they argue with one another.

Right now, they are bickering on social media, but what happens when they meet on the court in 2025-26?

Everyone will be paying close attention to the rivalry between these two, because it could quickly turn explosive.

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Dejounte Murray Shows Off Insane Bounce Amid Injury Recovery

Houston Rockets v New Orleans Pelicans
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Is Dejounte Murray finally healthy and ready to truly help the New Orleans Pelicans?

Sadly, his first season with the Pelicans wasn’t what he expected, and the team suffered because of it.

But he could be back in perfect shape when 2025-26 kicks off.

A video shared by Will Guillory on X showed Murray on the court, catching the ball and throwing down a dunk with ease.

This looks like a man who has recovered from his Achilles injury.

Murray only participated in 31 games last season, averaging 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 7.4 assists on 39.3 percent from the field.

He was only able to play such an abbreviated season because of a couple of serious injuries.

It actually started during the first game of the season, when he hurt his wrist.

He finally returned months later, but then suffered an Achilles tendon injury at the end of January, and didn’t play after that.

By the time Murray left the team for the second time, the Pelicans were already in a bad place and losing all chance of reaching the playoffs.

Sure enough, they didn’t even come close, and the entire season was a nightmare.

Since then, Murray has been hard at work getting better so he can lead the team.

When he was moved to the Pelicans, he was supposed to become a huge part of their offensive power, but he didn’t get the chance to do that during his first year.

Now, he’s in better shape and prepared to turn last season into a distant and painful memory.

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Kings Emerge As ‘One Home’ For Veteran Guard

Davion Mitchell #15 of the Sacramento Kings leads the team out from the locker room before playing the Utah Jazz at the Golden 1 Center on March 25, 2023 in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
(Photo by Loren Elliott/Getty Images)

The Sacramento Kings are hoping to become playoff contenders again in the new season, but they’re going to need a little help.

The team’s front office seems hesitant to make big swings in the offseason, so they may only commit to minor adjustments.

Is one of them the addition of Russell Westbrook?

According to Jake Fischer, Westbrook will make his way to the Kings this summer, but there is a chance he won’t be in the NBA at all in 2025-26.

“The Kings are the one home for Russell Westbrook if he’s going to be in the NBA at all,” Fischer said, via Fullcourtpass.

It sounds like Westbrook has to go with the Kings if he wants to remain in the league.

The free agent would likely be signed to a vet’s minimum contract, which is a far cry from what he is used to, but the best he can get.

And would he be a starter or spend more of his time on the bench?

Westbrook’s role with the Kings isn’t clear, and, again, he would have to accept whatever they put on the table.

Of course, he could also choose to turn down Sacramento and either sit out until he finds a new team or perhaps even play overseas.

Westbrook has his problems, but he’s not a bad player.

His value among teams has certainly diminished over the last few years, partly because he keeps moving around from squad to squad.

Now, the market for Westbrook is minimal, and he is having to deal with that reality.

The Kings would gladly take him, and they could help revitalize his career, but Westbrook could balk at their offer.

If he does, will he have other options?

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Jayson Tatum Has Honest Admission About His Achilles Rehab

Boston Celtics v New York Knicks - Game Four
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Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics is on the road to recovery, but it’s a long and slow one.

Tatum is getting honest about how hard the last several months have been.

According to him, the beginning of his rehabilitation process was incredibly difficult and unlike anything he has experienced before.

“That first 6 weeks was probably the toughest six weeks of any point in my life,” Tatum said, via Fullcourtpass.

Tatum is just three months into his recovery, and it will take much longer than that before he’s back at 100 percent.

He wants to be on the court with the rest of his team, but he knows he will be viewing them from the sidelines in 2025-26.

That’ll be tough for him, because he is Boston’s most important player and has been a centerpiece of their success over the last few years.

Tatum will need to remain resilient in the new season because the chances of him coming back before the end of 2025-26 are slim.

A serious injury like this takes months to get through, and Tatum will probably miss the entire year with Boston.

The Celtics have been making moves to get by without Tatum, but the road ahead won’t be easy for them either.

They have been employing cost-cutting strategies to bring in enough talent to keep them afloat throughout the 2025-26 season.

Where will they be when Tatum is finally ready to play again?

Tatum has pushed through some dark days, and he will have to keep his sights set on the future.

His career isn’t over, and it’s just taking a brief break.

That is tough for someone as competitive as him.

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Blake Griffin Has High Praise For Mavericks Rookie

Oklahoma City Thunder v Los Angeles Clippers
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Praise from one No. 1 NBA draft pick to another.

Blake Griffin is about to start his career as a sports broadcaster, which means even more people are paying attention to his opinions on the game.

And he has a big one about the incoming Dallas Mavericks rookie, Cooper Flagg.

Griffin thinks that Flagg is the real deal and believes that he is a truly “complete” athlete.

“He is the most complete player we’ve seen come into the NBA in recent memory,” Griffin said, via Fullcourtpass.

That’s big praise from Griffin, but it’s well deserved for Flagg.

Most people view Flagg as one of the best draft picks in recent memory, someone who can be a generational talent who will play in the NBA for years.

The Mavericks have high hopes for Flagg, and they will put him to work right away.

He was already coming into a large workload, but it may be even bigger because the Mavericks will be without Kyrie Irving in the new season.

That means that Flagg could be tasked with scoring more often and might have to carry a heavier load.

But he won’t be alone, and the Mavericks have been compiling a strong lineup.

Flagg blew everyone away during his time in college, and there has been heat around his name for a long time.

Expectations are sky-high, especially because of comments like this from Griffin.

But if anyone can live up to the hopes around him, it’s Flagg.

He rightfully earned his place in the draft, and now he is aiming for Rookie of the Year.

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Insider Reveals Big Update About Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Future With Bucks

Milwaukee Bucks v Detroit Pistons
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The 2025-26 NBA season starts in less than two months, which means that training camp is right around the corner.

But even though the season is quickly approaching, there are still many questions about the year ahead.

One of the biggest is this: will Giannis Antetokounmpo stay with the Milwaukee Bucks?

No one is quite sure what’s next for Antetokounmpo, but the picture will be clearer soon.

According to Brett Siegel, per Fullcourtpass, “clarity” on Antetokounmpo’s future with the Bucks will present itself once he returns from Greece and the EuroBasket tournament.

The Bucks are doing everything within their power to keep Antetokounmpo happy and make him remain in Milwaukee.

They added a few players this summer, most notably Myles Turner.

And, of course, they shocked the entire league when they waived Damian Lillard, who later made a new contract with the Portland Trail Blazers.

All of this was done to give the team more financial flexibility for the future.

But it was also to show Antetokounmpo that they will help him win, by any means necessary.

Will this keep Antetokounmpo happy, or will it ultimately backfire?

By all accounts, Antetokounmpo wants to stay with the Bucks, and he isn’t the sort of player who would cut and run on the only team he’s ever played for.

But he also wants to win a championship and is willing to leave if he feels that isn’t possible in Milwaukee.

Antetokounmpo has a lot to consider, but first, he has to play for his Greek team.

After that, he can think about the start of the new season.

Most people believe he will start 2025-26 in Milwaukee, but that doesn’t mean he won’t depart before the trade deadline if he isn’t happy.

What’s next for Antetokounmpo?

That’s still anyone’s guess.

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Stats Reveal How Impressive Cade Cunningham Was In His 4th Season

Detroit Pistons v New York Knicks - Game Five
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The Detroit Pistons enjoyed a massive turnaround last season, partly thanks to the miracle work of Cade Cunningham.

Detroit’s biggest star was shining brightly in 2024-25, and his numbers show how incredible he was.

He averaged 26.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 9.1 assists during the season.

According to StatMuse, he’s the first player since Oscar Robertson to reach those numbers in a fourth season.

This was Cunningham’s best season yet, which means his first All-Star selection was no surprise.

Of course, he’s been great since coming into the league in 2021-22.

He had to spend a little bit of time finding his footing, but Cunningham was soon Detroit’s most important star.

Sadly, his second season was cut short because of injury, and his third was mired in the historically bad record of the Pistons.

But his fourth season showed his true potential and made Detroit fans very excited.

They saw that this team could actually compete, and the bad losses might be in the past.

The expectations are now larger for the Pistons, but will they live up to them?

They need to keep building on what they achieved last year, and Cunningham will be at the center of it all.

If he can keep producing numbers like this, Pistons fans have every reason to believe they could be playoff contenders.

They were able to reach the postseason last year, but got pushed out in the opening round.

Will that be their fate again in 2025-26?

Cunningham is the centerpiece of this team, and the more he produces, the more success they will find.

How heroic will he be for Detroit in the new year?

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