Saturday Slam: Five likely landing spots for Jimmy Butler

                                          (Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) 

Earlier this week on NBALord.com, I addressed the tension growing between Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler and head coach Tom Thibodeau. Since that article was published on Tuesday, multiple reports have surfaced that confirm that the Timberwolves will indeed look to move Butler and that he will not be present at team media day on Monday.

Sources: Minnesota owner Glen Taylor has made it clear to President/Coach Tom Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden that Jimmy Butler's on the trade block and Taylor wants the front office moving to find a deal. Taylor is pushing for a fast resolution.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 23, 2018

All-Star Jimmy Butler has been granted permission to not participate in Minnesota Timberwolves‘ media day on Monday, league sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 22, 2018

Personally, I think the Timberwolves should entertain the possibility of firing Thibodeau if that will keep Butler around, but it does not look like they are going to go that route. With that being the case, below are five likely landing spots for Butler.

#1. Los Angeles Clippers: There have been additional reports that Jimmy Butler would prefer to get traded to the Los Angeles Clippers. He likes Los Angeles and the Clippers are in need of a new superstar to build around.  The Clippers also have some assets that the Timberwolves might like such as Tyrone Wallace, Lou Williams, and rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. If the Timberwolves want to get rid of Butler as quickly as possible, the Clippers should be the first team they call.

#2. Milwaukee Bucks: Butler played his college ball at Marquette in Milwaukee, so going to the Bucks would be a homecoming of sorts for him. I don't know if a duo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Butler would be enough to get the Bucks to the NBA Finals, but it would certainly be interesting to find out.

#3. Los Angeles Lakers: If Butler wants to go to Los Angeles, the Lakers are the only other alternative to the Clippers. What makes the Lakers a likely landing spot for Butler is they have a ton of assets to offer and are in desperate need of another superstar to pair with LeBron James. A duo of James and Butler would wreak some serious havoc in the Western Conference. They'd be instant contenders.

#4. New York Knicks:  The New York Knicks are rumored to be on Butler's list of preferred destinations and they could really use another superstar to pair with Kristaps Porzingis. If the Knicks can land Butler, they'll definitely be cooking with gas at Madison Square Garden. I don't know how good they'd be, but they'd be an instant playoff team in the Eastern Conference.

#5. Brooklyn Nets: The Brooklyn Nets are also rumored to be on Butler's list of preferred destinations and they are in desperate need of a superstar. On top of that, they have the space to sign him. Like Chicago and New York, an added bonus of trading Butler to Brooklyn is that he'd be out of the conference. The Timberwolves are probably hesitant to help out a team that they might end up facing in the playoffs, upping the odds of Butler getting shipped out East.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Is Tom Thibodeau the right man to coach the Minnesota Timberwolves

On Tuesday, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Tom Thibodeau met with Jimmy Butler in Los Angeles to talk about his future with the Minnesota Timberwolves organization. Despite reaching the playoffs in his first year with the team, Butler is reportedly unhappy about the direction of the franchise, specifically as it pertains to the job that Thibodeau is doing as head coach and president of basketball operations.

While he has a track record of success in Boston, Chicago, and now Minnesota, Thibodeau has been known to be a hard guy to play for. He demands a lot from his players and doesn't seem to be too sympathetic to the pounding NBA players go through during a full 82 game season. Rather than resting his players and playing his bench, Thibodeau tends to go with shorter rotations, resulting in his star players having to exert more energy on a nightly basis.

Thibodeau's coaching philosophy may be a contributing factor to all the injuries that Derrick Rose had during his time in Chicago as well as injuries to Joakim Noah, Zach LaVine, and Jimmy Butler. While it's conceivable that Butler has other issues with Thibodeau as well, the way he treats his players appears to be his main gripe. If you are an NBA player, you want to make as much money as you can and play basketball for as long as you can. Playing for a coach that runs his players into the ground is something a player should want to avoid at all costs. Even it means playing for a less competitive team.

In regards to how the Timberwolves should handle this, it's a tricky call. The name of the game as far as they are concerned is to win basketball games and Thibodeau has done a good job of that during his brief time in Minnesota, guiding the Timberwolves to their first playoff appearance since the 2003-04 season. On the flip side, when you have such a talented young core consisting of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, do you really want to risk long-term damage to them?

What could ultimately decide this is how the other players on the team feel about him. If it's only Jimmy Butler that has a beef, maybe the Timberwolves trade him for some assets before he gets the chance to walk away from them next summer in free agency. If on the other hand, Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, and others also complain to ownership and take things public, it would probably be the wise thing to fire Thibodeau and find a guy who is a little less stringent in his thinking. I guess we'll have to wait and see what final direction this takes, but if I'm making a prediction, I don't see how Thibodeau stays with this team for the long haul. The short-term benefits don't seem to outweigh the potential long-term damage.

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Saturday Slam: People are overreacting to the Warriors' addition of DeMarcus Cousins

                                         (Getty Images) 

When the Golden State Warriors landed DeMarcus Cousins in free agency, it felt like the basketball world became unglued. Everyone from fans to players were upset that the Warriors landed another superstar. The Warriors already have the most stacked team in the NBA and for them to land perhaps the best big man in the league for just $5.3M felt like highway robbery.

If you follow NBALord.com on social media, you will know that I expressed frustration over the move. So, I don't want to come off as hypocritical when I say people are overreacting to Cousins going to the Warriors. I admit that I contributed to the hysteria and that I overreacted to the news like everybody else.

After thinking about the move for a little while, I've come to the conclusion that this move isn't something to get all up in arms about. What people are forgetting in all of this is the fact that Cousins is coming back from a torn Achilles, an injury that is as serious as they come. If Cousins hadn't suffered a torn Achilles to end his season in New Orleans, the Warriors wouldn't have landed him in the first place. What made him available for just $5.3M is the fact that it is far from certain that he'll ever get back to his regular self again. He might still be able to play at an NBA level, but will he once again put up 25.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game? That remains to be seen.

I totally understand why everyone reacted the way they did. The Warriors are stacking up on talent and adding Cousins for so little money felt like they were rubbing it in everybody's faces. There's a certain arrogance that this Warriors team possesses that rubs people the wrong way. As one who lives in the Bay Area, I get it. I'm around "Dub Nation" 24/7.

Still, we shouldn't let an overall frustration with the Warriors cloud our judgment over this particular move. The reality is that we are yet to see how strong Cousins bounces back from this injury and until we do, we should reserve judgment about him giving the Warriors a dominant big man. As for the other 29 teams in the NBA that are upset about this move, if they are really so upset, why did none of them offer Cousins a decent contract? The fact that the Warriors are the only team that offered Cousins a deal just shows how uncertain his future really is. If there was good reason to believe he could do some serious damage, another team would have offered him a contract in the neighborhood of $20M or more.

My prediction is DeMarcus Cousins will have a nice year for the Warriors and give them just what they need, which is a sound presence in the paint that can score, rebound, and protect the rim a little bit. However, I do not expect Cousins to produce like he did prior to his injury. A torn Achilles is the most serious injury an athlete can get and for a lot of guys, it might as well be a death wish. With that in mind, I think we should all just step back and wait to see what happens before declaring this move the crime of the century.

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Saturday Slam: LeBron James is not afraid to speak his mind and it is awesome

One of the things I feel obligated to address on this blog is the way in which LeBron James is not afraid to speak his mind and stand up for what he believes in. In a recent interview with CNN's Don Lemon, James talked about his I Promise School, his future with the Los Angeles Lakers, and how he feels about the direction of our country as a whole. While some athletes prefer to shy away from topics surrounding politics and social justice, James has embraced his celebrity status to shed light on issues that he finds to be important, regardless of what anyone else thinks.

While I don't think every athlete should feel obligated to speak their mind, I think it is awesome that James has felt this moral responsibility. Millions of Americans look up to him, especially young African Americans. To them, he represents the American Dream and all that it stands for. In a divisive time in our country, James has been a beacon of hope and light, reminding us that goodness and decency can still be found in the United States of America.

What I think is most impressive about James is his long-term vision. He understands that he can do so much more than just win NBA championships. He can build a legacy that truly lasts if he is willing to give back to his community, stand up for what he believes in, and do his part to be an instrument for change.

The I Promise School is just one example of that. With this school, at-risk children in his hometown Akron, Ohio and the surrounding areas will get a chance to get an education that they otherwise wouldn't have gotten. Even though he himself didn't go on to college, James still values the importance of an education. He has talked in the past about how much it meant for him to graduate from high school and he wants to make sure that other children get the same opportunities that he got.

Given that he is on the path to becoming a billionaire, it would be easy for James to forget about his roots and spend his time doing other things. He doesn't have to be doing any of this and yet he recognizes how much of an impact he can have on his community and beyond.  When you really step back and think about it, it is amazing what James is doing.

Some argue that James should stick to building schools and other philanthropic projects without weighing in on political matters, but remaining silent about such things would be inconsistent with his larger mission. James isn't just about building schools. He's about molding minds and affecting the social conscious of this country. If he were to remain silent about issues regarding race and social justice, he would be failing to accomplish what he feels is his most important job.

Regardless of who you are, when LeBron James says something, you listen. When he calls out certain people for the way they behave, you listen. You may not like what he says, but you damn sure heard what he said and that is precisely why he's saying it. He's a voice for those who don't have a voice. That's powerful beyond anything that can happen on a basketball court.

Whether you love LeBron James on the court or not, one cannot deny the power of his actions and the force that he is for good off the court. While Michael Jordan will probably go down as the greatest basketball player to ever play the game, LeBron James will undoubtedly go down as having left a bigger legacy. So many guys say they want to prepare themselves for life beyond basketball, but LeBron James is actually doing it. He recognizes the impact he can have as an NBA superstar and is doing all he can to leverage that status for the betterment of society. It is awesome.

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Saturday Slam: Can Kawhi Leonard lead the Toronto Raptors to the NBA Finals?

Despite having a bizarre finish to his career in San Antonio, Kawhi Leonard found a way to tie things up nicely earlier this week, posting a thoughtful message that thanks both the Spurs fans and organization. Regardless of what may have happened this past season, Leonard still won an NBA championship and NBA Finals MVP while a member of the Spurs. His time there should be remembered well both by the fans and organization, so it's great to see that he was able to post the message that he did.

Kawhi Leonard has released a statement, thanking the city of San Antonio and the entire #Spurs organization. These are his first comments since being traded to the #Raptors. #NBA pic.twitter.com/pUAON0fALw

— NBA Lord (@nba_lord) August 10, 2018

Looking ahead to his time in Toronto, Leonard has a lot of pressure on his shoulders. Regardless of whether or not he decides to re-sign with the Raptors in 2019 or look elsewhere, he will want to have a big year and prove that he's not damaged goods after a strange final year in San Antonio. In the 2016-17 season, Leonard averaged 25.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game, putting himself in the discussion for best player in the NBA. If he can replicate those type of numbers, he will have certainly erased any doubt about his abilities to still produce at an elite level.

However, producing big numbers isn't the only thing Leonard has to do in order to be a success in Toronto. The real pressure lies in whether or not he can lead the Raptors deep in the playoffs and give them a real shot at winning a championship. The Raptors have had many strong regular season teams, but they've all fallen well short of the ultimate goal. Watching the Raptors choke is becoming an NBA playoffs tradition that we know all too well. We expect them to fail. If Leonard can flip the script and take the Raptors to the NBA Finals, he will have boosted his legacy immensely and made himself a lot of friends north of the border.

In order to get Leonard, the Raptors traded away DeMar DeRozan, Jakob Pöltl, and a protected 2019 first round pick to the Spurs. In addition to getting Leonard, the Raptors also got Danny Green back in the deal, giving Leonard at least one familiar face on his new team. Given the limited amount of pieces that moved in this trade, the Raptors essentially have the same pieces around Leonard that they had around DeRozan. No disrespect to DeRozan, but if Leonard is as good as everyone thinks he is, the Raptors should fair much better in the playoffs.

                                          (Credit: Bob Donnan. USA TODAY Sports) 
         
My honest prediction at this juncture is that the Boston Celtics will come out of the Eastern Conference, but if there's one team that they should fear, it is the Raptors. Unlike the Philadelphia 76ers, the Raptors are led by a guy who knows what it takes to a win championship. Even with all the possible baggage that comes with Kawhi Leonard, one cannot take away his championship and NBA Finals MVP. He's got that under his belt and as a result the Raptors have to go into this season feeling like they have much better odds at winning a championship than ever before.

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Tomahawk Tuesday: Can Carmelo Anthony help the Houston Rockets get over the hump?

                                          (Getty Images) 

Earlier today, Shams Charania of Yahoo! Sports confirmed that Carmelo Anthony has officially agreed to sign with the Houston Rockets. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski added that Anthony's deal is expected to be a one-year, $2.4M deal.

Carmelo Anthony has verbally agreed to sign with the Houston Rockets, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) August 7, 2018

Carmelo Anthony passes through waivers at 5 PM ET, clearing way for him to inform Houston that he will sign a one-year, $2.4M deal with Rockets.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) August 1, 2018

Anthony has had a bit of an up and down career. While being known as one of the league's best pure scorers, he has failed to live up to his own expectations of leading an NBA team to a championship. While he himself will never lead a team to a championship, he is presented with the next best thing, which is the chance to help a championship contender get over the hump.

Last season, the Rockets were one healthy Chris Paul hamstring away from winning an NBA championship and with Anthony now on board, the hope is that he'll give them just enough of a boost to get over the hump and supplant the Golden State Warriors as the best team in the league.

A lot of people are understandably skeptical of Anthony's ability to make a difference on this Rockets team. Since he has failed to win a championship everywhere he goes, it stands to reason that his time in Houston will likewise produce no championship jewelry.

What I want to do in this blog post is give you all a few reasons to believe that Anthony might just be the missing piece to a Houston Rockets championship recipe. You are certainly free to disagree with my reasons, but I still want to put this out there given all the negative posts about Anthony and his lack of championship success.

The first reason to think Anthony's addition to the Rockets could result in a championship is the simple fact that the Rockets were really close last year. The Rockets lost to the Warriors in Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals and as I said earlier, if it weren't for Chris Paul's hamstring injury, the Rockets probably would have won that series. Given how close the Rockets were last year, it's not like they need a whole lot more help to reach the promised land. If Melo can give them a little bit of help and take some of the scoring pressure off the backs of Paul and James Harden, that should be enough to make the difference.

Secondly, it isn't like Anthony sucked last year. With the Thunder, he averaged 16.2 points per game on 40.4% shooting from the field, 35.7% shooting from 3-point range, and 76.7% shooting from the foul line. He can still get buckets and in Houston, he won't need to be the volume shooter that he was asked to be in seasons past. He can come off the bench and provide sound spot minutes that make a real difference in terms of keeping the offense in a good rhythm.

Third, we've seen Anthony thrive in this type of role before. Anthony has played his best basketball in the Olympics, helping Team USA win multiple gold medals. As much as he likes to be a first option kind of guy, he's actually played his best basketball when he is more like the third or fourth option. If he can play like "Olympic Melo" as opposed to "New York Melo", the Rockets should really like their chances of giving the Warriors a serious run.

Given these reasons above, I actually think the Rockets should be excited about adding Carmelo Anthony. He comes in with plenty of experience, an ability to shoot the basketball, and a winning attitude. Unlike previous stops, Anthony is now in the twilight years of his career and more than anything he just wants to win a championship. While there are concerns about his willingness to play off the bench, I personally think Anthony is the type of player that will do whatever is asked of him in order to win a championship. If he wasn't, he wouldn't be coming to Houston in the first place.

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Saturday Slam: Can LeBron James deliver a title to Los Angeles?

Like every summer, NBA free agency has been wild. Lots of unexpected moves have happened and I aim to address many of these moves in the coming weeks. If there's one move that I need to first address, it's LeBron James' decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Los Angeles Lakers on a four-year, $154M deal. Joining James in Los Angeles will be former adversary Lance Stephenson and journeyman point guard Rajon Rondo, who both agreed to free agent deals with the Lakers shortly after James.

James' decision to leave Cleveland for Los Angeles could produce the most interesting chapter of his career, but only if he wins a championship. James cannot finish his career in Los Angeles without winning a ring if he wants any hope of improving his legacy. He knows this and seems up to the challenge.

The biggest hurdle standing in James' way is the Golden State Warriors, who appear poised to win the NBA championship for the next three years. The Warriors have a proven championship formula in place while the Lakers have a lot of question marks outside of James. Rajon Rondo and Lance Stephenson are both curious additions to say the least. While both guys are talented, I could easily see them not producing the desired results that James hopes they will. They both have a history of creating some friction in NBA locker rooms and have only really found success in one environment, Rondo in Boston and Stephenson in Indiana. While adding both Rondo and Stephenson, the Lakers lost Julius Randle to the New Orleans Pelicans, a guy who many felt had the chance to be a key piece for the franchise going forward.

                                          (David Richard-USA TODAY Sports) 

Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram are both talented pieces who should promise to get better over the coming seasons. While there are rumors of the Lakers possibly moving Ingram and/or Ball in order to get Kawhi Leonard, I personally think it would be wise for them to keep both of those guys around. They shouldn't make the mistake the Cleveland Cavaliers made, which was to trade a young promising player (Andrew Wiggins) for a more established veteran (Kevin Love). With those two guys learning from James, the Lakers can be assured that they'll be in good hands after his departure.

While there are still a lot of pieces that need to fall into place, I personally believe LeBron James can deliver a title to Los Angeles. As we saw in Cleveland, he doesn't need much around him to make things competitive and with a better cast around him, it would be foolish to rule out his chances. He's too talented to dismiss and given that he has four years to make it happen, I think there are good odds he'll strike it rich at least once.

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