Miami Heat acquires Jimmy Butler in four-team trade
The Miami Heat finalized a sign-and-trade deal to acquire All-Star guard Jimmy Butler from the Philadelphia 76ers in a deal that required four teams, multiple outlets reported Monday.
Butler will reportedly get a max-level, four-year, $142 million contract. The 76ers will receive wing Josh Richardson from Miami, which acquired forward Mo Harkless in a trade with Portland on Monday before sending him and a future firstround pick to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Miami sent center Hassan Whiteside to the Trail Blazers to help clear cap space.
The 29-year-old Butler averaged 18.2 points on 46.1 shooting in 55 games with the Sixers last season after arriving in November via trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. A fourtime All-Star, he has career averages of 16.7 points and 4.9 rebounds per game in eight NBA seasons.
Butler joins JJ Redick in leaving the 76ers, who reportedly will re-sign forward Tobias Harris on a five-year, $180 million deal and has agreed to sign former Boston Celtics big man Al Horford on a four-year contract.
Richardson will join Philadelphia coming off a career season, having averaged 16.6 points, 4.1 assists and 3.6 rebounds — all career highs — in 73 games last season. The 25-yearold has career averages of 12.1 points, 2.9 assists and 3.2 rebounds in 259 career games (190 starts) since the Heat drafted him in the second round in 2015.
Whiteside has career averages of 13.4 points and 11.4 rebounds in parts of seven NBA seasons, all with Miami, except for 19 games with the Sacramento Kings from 2010 to 2012. KANTER TO CELTICS >> Enes Kanter is coming back to the Eastern Conference, joining the Boston Celtics.
Kanter’s manager, Hank Fetic, wrote on Twitter that Kanter had agreed to a twoyear deal with the Celtics, with the second-year being a player option.
The Athletic reported that the deal would pay Kanter $10 million.
Kanter began last season with the New York Knicks and was playing well, averaging 14 points and 10.5 rebounds. But he lost his spot in the rotation when the Knicks wanted to focus on younger players, and he was eventually waived. The Turkish center then signed with the Portland Trail Blazers and ended up starting after Jusuf Nurkic’s season-ending injury.
KNICKS ADD PAYTON TO MIX >> The Knicks have agreed to a two-year deal with guard Elfrid Payton.
Payton was the fifth player added by the Knicks in the first two days of free agency. New York first agreed to a contract with forward Julius Randle.
The Knicks also agreed to deals with Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson on Sunday and swingman Reggie Bullock early Monday. Then, Wayne Ellington reached agreement Monday before Payton.
Payton was limited to 42 games last season because of injuries, averaging 10.6 points and 7.6 assists. The No. 10 pick of the 2014 draft spent his first three seasons in Orlando.
The Knicks will become the ninth team for Ellington, a 38 percent 3-point shooter for his career. IRVING FEELS AT HOME >> Kyrie Irving says his decision to join the Brooklyn Nets is about wanting to play at home.
Irving grew up in New Jersey watching the Nets, and says he wanted to return to the area as a player.
He says in a video posted by Roc Nation Sports that “home is where my family is. Home is where I want my legacy to continue. And I’m happy to be in Brooklyn.”
Roc Nation, which announced Sunday it was now representing Irving, said the All-Star point guard had agreed to a four-year, maximum contract with the Nets.
Irving said early last season his intention was to remain with Boston, but changed his mind and joined Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan in picking the Nets on the first day of free agency.
CURRY BACK WITH MAVS >> Seth Curry is returning to Dallas after a year away, agreeing on a $32 million, four-year contract.
Curry had the best season of his career with Dallas in 2016-17, averaging career highs of 12.8 points, 2.7 assists and 29 minutes per game. He missed all of 201718 with a stress reaction in his lower left leg before joining Portland on a oneyear contract last season. Curry averaged 7.9 points for the Trail Blazers.
The Mavericks were looking for a shooting guard to pair with rookie of the year Luka Doncic, the 20-yearold Slovenian who figures to be their starting point guard for years.