Jackie MacMullan: Jimmy Butler, 76ers on "thin ice"

[MotownMadness]

I’d like to pair him with Griffin. Two competitive talented vet players with no young players to corrupt here or potential to destroy. Either we watch them work together well or we watch the world burn til they retire.

[Dr Spaceman]

"I think he's on thin ice"

what does that even mean? that the 76ers are gonna trade him? lol

He’s a free agent, they could just go in another direction.

[GoCeltics123]

It's horrible reporting. So you don't want to name your sources, I get that, but what does being on thin ice mean? Are the 76ers going to trade him, are they unhappy with his performance, are they not going to even entertain signing him when he become a FA? It's like she has left a door wide open, so if anything happens that is not positive she can say. "See I told you he was on thin Ice!"

I agree, she could've elaborated but it was a podcast, not a story. All she had time to say, it seems, was that the Sixers are getting tired of his antics.

[Dan Z]

I like Jimmy, hell of a player, but seems like there is some friction with teammates everywhere he's been. Could be a completely unfair assessment only reflecting his time in Minny.. What do 76ers fans think so far? Bulls fans?

I think the stuff he did in Chicago was overblown by the media. It wasn't a big deal IMO. The stuff he did in Minnesota was odd, but I think ultimately he didn't want to be stuck on a team with Wiggins and Towns (however he could've handled himself better).

If he becomes a distraction with the Sixers then its a pattern of negative behavior and he should be called out for that. But I'm not sure what this new information really means.

[VancouverRaps]

On thin ice in general based on the Minny narrative, but I wouldn’t describe him being on thin ice in Philly. Things are going well here. Embiid/Simmons/Butler have been great on the court together.

It seems pretty clear that she's talking about off of the court, she even specifically mentions how great and unselfish he is on the court.

[GeorgeMarcus]

On thin ice in general based on the Minny narrative, but I wouldn’t describe him being on thin ice in Philly. Things are going well here. Embiid/Simmons/Butler have been great on the court together.

It seems pretty clear that she's talking about off of the court, she even specifically mentions how great and unselfish he is on the court.

Off-court bleeds into on-court and vice versa. She didn't provide any tangible evidence of anything.

[VancouverRaps]

On thin ice in general based on the Minny narrative, but I wouldn’t describe him being on thin ice in Philly. Things are going well here. Embiid/Simmons/Butler have been great on the court together.

It seems pretty clear that she's talking about off of the court, she even specifically mentions how great and unselfish he is on the court.

Off-court bleeds into on-court and vice versa. She didn't provide any tangible evidence of anything.

Fair enough .

Not always the case though, the Wizards locker room has has been divided for a while now(Bradley Beal has alluded to it) but in recent playoffs they seem to get past that and play decently as a team. Don't think I saw them blatantly looking off an open man or getting into it with teammates during any of the playoff games against the Raps.

[Yank3525]

Butler seems to need to be on a team that has an established veteran star.

Lakers make a lot of sense imo personality wise b/c of Lebron

Lakers would the need to move Ingram obviously. If they could move BI, Kuz, Lonzo, and picks for AD, they do it and make best big 3 in the NBA.

Houston makes sense as well.

He really needs to be around his contemporaries (I mean age, not talent. Jimmy is clearly a tier two guy). Having him around kids like Embiid, Simmons, or KAT, just doesn't seem to work.

[Clyde Frazier]

Interesting this story comes from a Boston for life reporter.

Last time she reported on a team outside of Boston with the "LMA wants out of SA" it was completely BS.

She's covered the NBA nationally for 20+ years. Gimme a break.

[RCM88x]

She did write an article bashing Belichick a few years ago on things that weren’t even true and never corrected it. So not like she’s a homer.

Maybe she's only a homer for the Celtics.

No she’s not. She’s one of the best out there.

Based on a few of your posts in this thread, you seem pretty biased against her for some reason.

I still remember when all signs pointed to the Celtics wanting to retain Rondo, and she came out and torched the idea of that on fire; I remember all Celtic fans calling her out, but she was right in the end. Jackie M knows what she is talking about.

She upset Woody Paige once on Around the Horn in 2005 and I've hated her ever since.

[taikibansei]

"I think he's on thin ice"

what does that even mean? that the 76ers are gonna trade him? lol

Doesn’t mean a damn thing, other than maybe a team that wants Jimmy leaked a non-story

She said it came from her talking to the Sixers herself

"I can tell you, having spent a couple of days in Philadelphia, they don't love it."

She implies that she talked to someone, but doesn't come out and say it. I (or anybody) also can tell you, having spent a couple of days in Philadelphia, that "they" think she's full of crap.

[Sherlock]

I think Philly is in a really tough spot here with Jimmy.

They're almost obliged to re-sign him because if he walks, think about what that means:

They went from a place where they had Embiid, Simmons, Covington, Saric, 2017 and 2018 first rounders and boatload of cap space for a couple of upcoming summers, to a place where they end up with Embiid, Simmons and no one else. RoCo and Saric are gone. Fultz can't play. If Jimmy walks, they're in a place where they have 2 all-star level talents and basically nothing else in the cupboard.

Given the fuss he made in Minny about them not giving him his 5 years, there's no way the Sixers are going to do anything other than give him the 5-year max deal he wants. Otherwise, I'm certain that the Knicks at a minimum will be there with a 4-year max deal and a fresh pen at the stroke of midnight on July 1st.

The only way the Sixers let Jimmy walk is if they think they have a legitimate shot at landing Durant or Kawhi to take his place in the lineup. Otherwise, they're going to re-sign him and then potentially trade him down the road so they at least recover something.

[sfernald]

"I think he's on thin ice"

what does that even mean? that the 76ers are gonna trade him? lol

Doesn’t mean a damn thing, other than maybe a team that wants Jimmy leaked a non-story

JM is after all just another Ainge mouth piece 100% die-hard Celtics fan.

[Duke4life831]

Interesting this story comes from a Boston for life reporter.

Last time she reported on a team outside of Boston with the "LMA wants out of SA" it was completely BS.

Read on Twitter

Pop literally admitted she was right but alright

Maybe it was true for a time but when the report came out pretty much everyone denied it.

So she broke a story and at the time everyone denied it. But later on everyone admitted it was correct. That goes from her having egg on her face to looking like she is connected and might know what she is talking about, even outside of Boston. The LMA wants out of SA story now makes me feel more confident that this is true.

[Lalouie]

butler is terrell owens without the show.

he wants to create his own superteam or at least be part of one, meaning he wants to do what lebron does, meaning he wants to play with established stars, meaning he won't be in philly for long.

everybody who thinks butler will be a 76er in FA raise your hand

[madmaxmedia]

Butler seems to need to be on a team that has an established veteran star.

That means every team in the NBA, because wherever he goes- there he is!

[SF_Warriors]

Butler seems to need to be on a team that has an established veteran star.

Lakers make a lot of sense imo personality wise b/c of Lebron

Lakers would the need to move Ingram obviously. If they could move BI, Kuz, Lonzo, and picks for AD, they do it and make best big 3 in the NBA.

Houston makes sense as well.

He really needs to be around his contemporaries (I mean age, not talent. Jimmy is clearly a tier two guy). Having him around kids like Embiid, Simmons, or KAT, just doesn't seem to work.

Houston signs jimmy butler...how?

[TheNewEra]

Read on Twitter

Pop literally admitted she was right but alright

Maybe it was true for a time but when the report came out pretty much everyone denied it.

So she broke a story and at the time everyone denied it. But later on everyone admitted it was correct. That goes from her having egg on her face to looking like she is connected and might know what she is talking about, even outside of Boston. The LMA wants out of SA story now makes me feel more confident that this is true.

Yeah and it was hinted LMA only became happy again because he got all of Leonard’s shots with him gone

[GeorgeMarcus]

butler is terrell owens without the show.

he wants to create his own superteam or at least be part of one, meaning he wants to do what lebron does, meaning he wants to play with established stars, meaning he won't be in philly for long.

everybody who thinks butler will be a 76er in FA raise your hand

The only team that has more "established stars" than the Sixers is Golden State

[Lalouie]

butler is terrell owens without the show.

he wants to create his own superteam or at least be part of one, meaning he wants to do what lebron does, meaning he wants to play with established stars, meaning he won't be in philly for long.

everybody who thinks butler will be a 76er in FA raise your hand

The only team that has more "established stars" than the Sixers is Golden State

philly is too young. so was minnie. that's what he's been whining about all this time. he'll be happy in in bos or tor