Spurs didn’t want to rebuild with ultra young guys is my guess. If Murray improves, they have a team with 5 above average starters in a league that demands you to have a superstar (or 2).

It will be fascinating to watch how they fare. I can’t imagine better than a 7 or 8 seed, but don’t underestimate Pop.

But would those teams take Dieng? That’s a regrettable contract they gave him. Dumping that while picking up Ntilikina and a 1st rounder might be attractive, no?

I’d hate to think that a team would ever take less in a trade of a star player, when they’re still trying to be competitive, just to dump a bad salary, but sadly I could possibly see Thibs being dumb enough to like that idea. I just don’t think he’d like the idea enough to not still insist on an unprotected first round pick in the deal. I think even the most optimistic of possible trades would have to include an unprotected 2019 first rounder. And I still wouldn’t want them to do that. Better to just hope Butler wants to sign her next year.

Other good teams can and will make respectable offers if Butler is seriously available. Heck, what about the Lakers? Butler would cost a lot less than Kawhi.

But would those teams take Dieng? That’s a regrettable contract they gave him. Dumping that while picking up Ntilikina and a 1st rounder might be attractive, no?

Anthony Davis will be available in a year.

I’m sure there’s a good reason for being so certain about this, like you’re his Live Psychic Friend or something, but predicting player movement in the NBA one whole year out is like predicting where and when earthquakes are going to happen.

Davis is signed until 2021.

And if he’s made available in the summer of 2019 for some reason, like you said, Boston, and other teams, are so rich in assets that they can beat the Knicks if they want to, so building a strategy completely around acquiring him is more bunk than just clearing space for actual free agents.

I guess I can see a situation where Jimmy Butler keeps us alive in the playoff chase until KP gets back and then they carry us to the 8th seed, but that just isnt worth as much as adding a top pick and/or trading that top pick for Anthony Davis.

Anthony fucking Davis is going to be traded next summer and we need to be in that lottery. We cannot let Danny Ainge get his filthy hands on him.

There is no way that the Wolves are ever taking a protected pick back in a Butler trade. Same with a pick swap (as the sole pick, that is. I could see them asking for a pick swap on top of an unprotected first rounder, but not instead of an unprotected first rounder). Hell, you’d be really hard pressed to get them to even accept an unprotected first from 2020 instead of 2019.

Other good teams can and will make respectable offers if Butler is seriously available. Heck, what about the Lakers? Butler would cost a lot less than Kawhi.

As a card-carrying pessimist and hater of everything the Knicks have done for the better part of my lifetime now, I’d be pretty happy. Butler would be the best player to play for the Knicks since Ewing, and would be the best player they’ve acquired via trade or free agency since Earl Monroe forty seven(!) years ago.

What sucks is that the one time he definitely would have allowed it, Phil, well, you know.