Jimmy Butler on Dejounte Murray: 'He's a hell of a player'

Brady Hawk: Jimmy Butler wishing Dwyane Wade a happy birthday pic.twitter.com/Owlf4sfK7h -via Twitter @BradyHawk305 / January 17, 2024

And Butler is sure to cheekily give Neymar his athletic flowers, too. “He’s [obviously] a great footballer. He’s actually pretty good at basketball, too. Actually, now that I think about it, that little motherfucker is good at almost everything.” -via The Guardian / January 17, 2024

Of course, when you’re Jimmy Butler, your pals aren’t all just random coffee shop patrons. Over the last few years, Butler has developed a friendship with one of his personal heroes, Brazilian soccer supernova Neymar. The two have bonded over more than just their shared athletic mastery, connecting over things like fatherhood, a role Butler stepped into for the first time a few years ago. “I see him as a brother, you know what I mean?” Butler says. “And I’ll go support, he knows this. I’ll fly anywhere to go watch my brother play. But whenever I do get there, we’re always just kicking it, talking about life, FaceTiming each other’s kids. It’s a real family vibe around him, and around all the people that I’m around.” Butler clearly admires this about Neymar, speaking with reverence when he describes the footballer’s relationship with his children. “He’s an incredible dad. He does so much for them, and he’s always around them, teaching them everything about life, about whatever they want to put their mind to. Man, it’s incredible to watch. And I learn from it.” -via The Guardian / January 17, 2024

On Instagram on Friday, Dejounte Murray raised eyebrows by posting a photo of the Heat’s retired jerseys hanging from the Kaseya Center rafters. Why did he do that? “It’s respect for legends that have played this game the right way before,” Murray told The Miami Herald at his locker before Friday’s game. “That’s all it is.” If the Hawks trade him, would the Heat appeal to him as a destination? “I have no comment,” he said. -via Miami Herald / January 19, 2024

Rob Perez: Dejounte Murray hits the game-winner back-to-back nights. pic.twitter.com/vLknbrf9ye -via Twitter @WorldWideWob / January 19, 2024

The Dejounte Murray buzz is only increasing — and to noisy levels. The Lakers and Hawks have discussed potential frameworks of a deal, including a version late last week that centered on D’Angelo Russell, Hood-Schifino, the 2029 first-round pick and additional draft compensation, according to multiple team and league sources. Talks have since stalled, but are expected to pick back up closer to the deadline. -via The Athletic / January 19, 2024