Jimmy Butler Business rumors: how much could it have an impact on the Clippers?

Jimmy Butler, who would no longer be interested in playing for the Timberwolves, has a list of favorite destinations, according to ESPN.com. One of the surprise names at the top of the list was the Los Angeles Clippers, a team in the running but lacking superstars following the departures of Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan.

Would the Clippers be a good landing point for Butler? If a potential trade is worth it for the Clippers? Andrew Sharp and Ben Golliver talk about the latest episode of the Open Floor podcast.

(Listen to the latest open floor podcast here.) The following transcript has been edited and condensed for clarity.)

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Andrew Sharp: We have a lot of questions to know if Jimmy Butler would make sense in L.A. I do not know, if they are smart, do you really want to commit a lot of money in the mid 30's Jimmy Butler? Because the record of the guys who played with Thibs and survived that, it's not great for guys in their thirties. So it's a real concern.

Ben Golliver: You know, I hear you. I mean, it would be really ironic if they were given all these praises to get out of the Blake Griffin deal and then they just came back and spent all that money on a Butler deal that could be exactly the same in 12 months.

Cutting edge: Right? I mean, if they're as smart as we think – and I think they're smart – I do not know if Jimmy Butler is the answer. And it's going to be really interesting. Because they could be desperate too. And Steve Balmer could be as thirsty as others say the Clippers are, and that's a possibility.

Golliver: We know they are very smart because they hired Lee Jenkins. D & # 39; right? Clearly the first step of building a dynasty. But I think that the Clippers will, in the not too distant future, end up with a crisis of identity. Like, "Who the hell are we?" Last year, they already played with the operation team. … but they did not really make the playoffs. So, they are left empty handed. How long can you do this in the future?

Would you rather build around Jimmy Butler with his concerns or Tobias Harris being Tobias Harris. And you think, "Hey, we can trade against Jimmy, pennies on the dollar now. We have to give him a lot of money, but we could potentially use it to try to compete with other free agents, get a team where they are in the playoffs next season because Butler can really do what he has done in Minnesota and wear a little. a team to love an 8-seed, right? And then potentially be big players next summer in free agency.

If I am the Clippers, it seems pretty close to the best scenario. Because you're not going to have KD, you're not going to have a lot of these other guys. You can pray for Kawhi Leonard, but you must have something to offer to Kawhi Leonard. And if they miss the playoffs again this year, this pitch is starting to be pretty weak, is not it? That's why I think the Clippers or the Heat, for similar reasons, would allow me to do it knowing the risks.

And here's the other thing: if Butler comes and gets hurt again, this year, you do not have to automatically give him the maximum of five next summer, right? It's still a bargaining point. And I think that if you are currently negotiating for him with a discount, you do not even need to have a handshake agreement. You're just saying, "Next summer, we'll solve this problem and we'll obviously take care of you if things go as planned."

Cutting edge: Yeah, I guess you're right. And look, the point Tobias Harris is really good. And if the alternative is to spend $ 120 or $ 130 million on Tobias Harris, then, perhaps, Jimmy Butler in his thirties makes more sense for the Clippers. It's funny because I never really looked at his profile until I sat down to write about him last week. Looking at the games he has missed in the last five years, he has played 70 games in the last five years, in addition to the money you have to give to this guy. He is a thorny man.

And honestly, if it's a different situation than Kawhi on the open market or Kyrie on the trading block last year. Butler is a much bigger risk. And I think you already see that with teams like Nets and Knicks saying, "I do not know if that's what we want to do." It will be interesting to see how it ends.