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With free agency only hours away and Pat Riley getting a chance to chance to get in the room with Jimmy Butler, a trade rumor is bubbling back up — Hassan Whiteside for J.R. Smith.
Sources: Jimmy Butler expected to meet the Miami Heat in South Fla. Sunday. Butler/Rockets meeting likely early week in LA. Sixers haven’t ruled out working with Butler on sign-and-trades, which Miami and Houston need to acquire the All-Star guard.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 29, 2019
NBA reporters have discussed the possibility of some type of this trade all month long. Yahoo! Sports discussed it in a June 4 article. Before the NBA Draft, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders said Miami could trade their 13th overall pick for the 26th pick and Smith.
Watch Miami — JR Smith and the 26 for the 13. https://t.co/Vyu73CzmCe
— Steve Kyler (@stevekylerNBA) June 20, 2019
Smith, who hasn’t played an NBA game in 2019, is slated to make $15.7 million next year — only $4.4 million of that is guaranteed, though. He recently agreed with the Cleveland Cavaliers to push back his guarantee date from June 30 to July 15. Hassan Whiteside is slated to make $27.1 million this year.
Cavs and JR Smith have agreed to push back his contract guarantee date to July 15 with an option to push it again to Aug. 1, sources told ESPN. His guaranteed has been increased from $3.9M to $4.4 as part of deal. @joevardon first reported agreement.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) June 29, 2019
RIley has gotten in the room with Kevin Durant in 2016 and Gordon Hayward in 2017. It didn’t work out either time. (Whether Hayward is worth that max deal, especially after suffering an ankle fracture in the 2017-18 season opener, is another discussion.) If things go differently with Butler, can Riley call back the Cavaliers to help him make room for Butler?
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