Analysts advise keep Richardson
TNT’s Miller, Webber: Heat should not deal forward for Butler
MIAMI — TNT analysts and former NBA All-Stars Reggie Miller and Chris Webber both said Wednesday if the decision was theirs, they would not be willing to trade Miami Heat forward Josh Richardson in a package for disgruntled Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Jimmy Butler.
The two offered their comments on a Turner Sports conference call to promote the network’s upcoming coverage of the NBA season. They spoke in the wake of reports that Butler may yet join his Timberwolves teammates for practice after staying away from his team, following his trade demand on the eve of training camp three weeks ago.
“He was around,” Timberwolves forward Anthony Tolliver said.
Said veteran guard Jeff Teague, “I love Jimmy. Jimmy’s my guy.”
According to ESPN Adrian Wojnarowski, at one point during Wednesday’s practice, Butler yelled to General Manager Scott Layden, “You [bleeping] need me. You can’t win without me.”
According to ESPN, the Heat “remain interested in restarting talks with Minnesota.”
As has been the case in previous reporting, the Heat appear willing to include Richardson in potential trade permutations.
Contrary to other reporting, ESPN is reporting the Heat are the only team actively pursuing Butler, who has the right to become a free agent July 1.
Asked whether they believed the Heat should include Richardson in a trade package for
Butler, both Webber and Miller cited concerns.
“I’d just have to say, first, I’m not in the locker room. I know that doesn’t make any difference,” Webber said. “I would say no. Because, again, the reason why is I think the culture of Miami is one, even though they don’t have the championships of a San Antonio or the Patriots, I still look at [Heat President] Pat Riley as that type of a winner. I look at the organization as that professional, that precise, that you have winning ways, even if you have a losing season there.
“So I’m going to say they don’t need one player, because one player is not going to change the culture in Miami. It’s not going to change the culture and I don’t know if it will give you seven more wins a year.
“And so being that the culture does need to be changed [if Butler arrives], I don’t know if that’ll give you five to seven more years of winning.”
Webber was asked about the recent report of one incarnation of the trade, sending Richardson, Bam Adebayo and a protected first-round pick to Minnesota as part of a package.
“I would believe I would like those young guys in the locker room, if I was there,” he said. “They’re young and we’ve developed them. Then no, I would not … that would not be something that I would do, all things being considered.” Miller followed with his response. “I will also say no,” Miller said. “I’m going to go towards the business side of this. You’ve got Josh Richardson on a four-year, $42 million [contract]. You’ve got Bam working on a rookie deal. And, to Chris’ point, chemistry means a lot, and you’ve got young guys that the Heat, [coach Erik] Spoelstra and Riley, that they’ve started to develop. And I’m looking long term, because you’ve got young players, young legs, young development for years to come.
“Jimmy Butler — fantastic person, in my opinion, fantastic player. But his longevity, because of some of the injuries that have occurred, they kind of scare me a little bit.”
Miller said such a trade would not put the Heat over the top when it comes to playoff status.
“If you make that deal, does that automatically, to Chris’ point, make them in contention like Boston is?” Miller said. “You don’t say, ‘Oh, OK, now it’s between Boston and Miami.’ I mean you still have Philly, Indiana, Toronto, so it doesn’t make them, like Chris said, seven games better. It doesn’t make them like, ‘OK, there’s a clear-cut favorite.’
“That’s why I would keep those young players and I personally would not do the deal.”