There was a time when seeing stars go out the door without anyone coming back in was a no-no in the National Basketball Association. It didn’t matter whether the point of assessment was in the offseason or the middle of a campaign. General managers simply had to get a return on their asset, no matter how depressed — and preferably on a dollar-for-dollar scenario. As even casual observers know, however, the importance of not being empty-handed following a necessary divorce has greatly diminished in recent memory. If anything, it’s fair to argue that leaving once-critical resources by the wayside sans any direct recompense has become a valid course of action.
Take the Clippers prior to the start of the 2024-25 season, during which supposed vital cog Paul George was allowed — perhaps even encouraged — to pack his bags once it became clear that the trade market for him was tepid at best. For all his worth as a nine-time All-Star, they saw no future in him and his diminishing returns given his asking price. And though it seemed as if they came up empty-handed while the Sixers were spreading the welcome mat for him, they actually did just fine in retrospect. With astute maneuvering, they turned the salary cap space they got from his departure into signed contracts for the likes of James Harden, Nicolas Batum, Derrick Jones Jr., and Kris Dunn, as well as extensions for Ivica Zubac and Terrence Mann.
In other words, there is a way to move past a sticky situation by not falling prey to the sunk cost fallacy. And this, in a nutshell, is why the Heat can afford to play hardball with foundational-piece-turned-distraction Jimmy Butler. For one thing, they have never been receptive to implicit threats such as those he has been known to issue from time to time. Unlike the Bulls, Timberwolves, or Sixers, they have, in fact, dug down deep into their foxhole when their hand is forced. That they’re doing it in this case is no surprise; once upon a time, not even all-time-great Dwyane Wade was spared of their wrath.
Certainly, the Heat’s stubbornness is as much borne of their famed culture as of head honcho Pat Riley’s ingrained beliefs against prioritizing the individual over the collective. And because no one wins against The Godfather in a staredown, Butler would do well to expect a drawn-out process leading to his inevitable exit. In other words, he will be able to get what he wants if and only if it dovetails with what they want. If he won’t bend, he’s in a for a long wait — and ultimately landing in disappointment.
Anthony L. Cuaycong has been writing Courtside since BusinessWorld introduced a Sports section in 1994. He is a consultant on strategic planning, operations and human resources management, corporate communications, and business development.
