After the lull in the wake of the free agency bonanza, the NBA has officially returned.
While a league game is quite far from being played (there’s still the pre-season games to begin with), the best basketball competition in the planet is undoubtedly back to relevance and even took the sports world by storm with some of the hottest storylines all summer long.
First off, there’s Jimmy Butler demanding a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. A deal is yet to be secured by the Wolves, but they may not find it difficult looking for a trade partner as plenty of teams are already lining up to sign the All-Star forward.
On the other hand, there’s Anthony Davis who made a major career move by signing with a big-time agent. His decision is for his best interest, but it could also have huge implications for New Orleans in the future, particularly when he hits free agency.
Speaking about future, the Philadelphia 76ers are also starting to look forward to theirs, with coach Brett Brown eyeing a big step for his young team in the 2018/19 season.
Here’s the full SBOBET report on the biggest stories in the league today:
Butler Up for Grabs: Cavs, Heat, Rockets Among Teams Interested
Jimmy Butler made it known he wants out of Minnesota. Now, teams are lining up for a chance to land the four-time NBA All-Star.
According to the latest NBA 2018 news, several teams have shown interest in acquiring the 29-year-old disgruntled star, with the likes of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Houston Rockets reportedly aggressively pursuing Butler.
The Cavs recently lost LeBron James in free agency, so it’s no wonder why they are keen to add one of the best two-way players in the league to their fold. With Kevin Love already committed to the team and rookie point guard Collin Sexton ready to live up to expectations, Butler’s arrival could spell a quick revival for Cleveland.
Miami, who have been said as one of the most interested teams, could also use Butler to boost their wing depth. With newly signed Dwyane Wade unlikely to start, the Heat could insert Butler as a shooting guard to feature alongside Goran Dragic, Justise Winslow and Hassan Whiteside.
Mike D’Antoni’s side is the most intriguing candidate to get the services of the former Chicago standout, considering their squad that already boasts James Harden, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony. However, given that they have championship aspirations in the tough Western Conference, acquiring Butler seems to be a must.
Other teams that are keen to get Butler include the Brooklyn Nets, Detroit Pistons, LA Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers.
It remains to be seen where Butler will be sent, though in his trade demand last week, he listed Brooklyn, Los Angeles and New York as his preferred destinations.
Anthony Davis Goes Klutch in Agent Search
The Brow now joins a long list of elite NBA stars in the Klutch family.
After parting ways with his longtime agent Thad Foucher earlier this month, Anthony Davis has found a new representative in Rich Paul of the Klutch Sports Group.
While players switching agents is pretty common in the NBA, Davis’ decision to sign with Paul and his Klutch Sports turned heads for a few good reasons. First of all is the fact that Paul is the agent of Los Angeles Lakers’ superstar LeBron James.
Second is the timing of the move, with Davis set to be eligible to sign a five-year, $235 million extension with the Pelicans next summer.
The 25-year-old big man has insisted that his decision to switch agents is rooted to his desire to improve his game, but the LeBron connection and his free agency in two years time raised speculations that he wants to change teams.
“My focus is to win, to come in every day and do all I can to help this organization,” Davis said via ESPN. “While establishing myself as the best player on the floor every night.”
Fortunately for New Orleans fans, Davis’ new representative said that there’s no truth to rumours of Davis wanting to leave the city and even announced that he is planning to meet with team officials soon to discuss his new player’s future.
Paul is currently representing more than 20 NBA players, including LeBron, John Wall, Eric Bledsoe and Ben Simmons.
Brown, Sixers Dreaming of NBA Finals Berth
Philadelphia 76ers coach Brett Brown has only one goal heading to the 2018/19 season: the NBA Finals.
After a year that saw Philly make it to the semi-finals of the Eastern Conference, Brown didn’t shy away from setting up higher goals and aspirations for his young and rising team.
“We want to play in the NBA Finals,” Brown told the Philadelphia Inquirer after the Sixers’ first training camp practice. “As I said to you, we feel we could have played in the NBA Finals [last season]. I understand the magnitude of that statement, but I stand by it. And I own it.”
While Brown’s goal may seem unachievable, he has proven with Philly that he can make his predictions happen. In fact, last summer before the start of the 2017/18 campaign, Brown said that his goal for the team is to make the playoffs—something which seems unrealistic that time considering that Philadelphia finished 2016/17 with the fourth worst record in the league.
However, Philadelphia defied expectations and made it to the East semis before falling to the Boston Celtics.
Sure enough, making the playoffs is different from making the finals, but Brown and Philly will remain confident with their chances, especially with their group that features Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid—two of the most promising young players in the league today.
Philadelphia are up for a big challenge in the East though, with the NBA 2018 odds putting them behind Boston and Toronto to win the conference title.
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