The agent for Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler is using social media to weigh in on some recent transactions involving other players, arguing that Josh Okogie and K.J. Martin were merely signed as “human trade chips” this offseason.
This is a total anomaly and both had to play on multiple minimum contracts and both have only been signed as human trade chips. https://t.co/jQePH5Ul3r
— Bernard Lee (@BernieoLee) July 12, 2024
Agent Bernard Lee is obviously watching player activity around the NBA closely as part of his job, expressing his opinions on the signings of Okogie and Martin in the process.
Okogie reportedly agreed to return to the Phoenix Suns on a two-year, $16 million contract. The deal reportedly pushed the Suns’ combined salaries and tax to more than $400 million, making them the first team to surpass that threshold.
Last season, his second with the Suns, Okogie averaged 4.6 points and 2.6 rebounds per game in 60 appearances. Those numbers were down from the prior campaign, when he averaged 7.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest in 72 games played.
He will be entering his seventh season in the NBA, having also played for the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Meanwhile, Martin also received a two-year, $16 million contract to remain with his team, the Philadelphia 76ers. The son of former NBA player Kenyon Martin averaged 3.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per game in 60 appearances during the 2023-24 NBA campaign, which marked his first season in Philadelphia and fourth in the league.
He began the season with the Los Angeles Clippers before landing with the 76ers.
This offseason, NBA teams have been navigating the first and second aprons included in the complicated new collective bargaining agreement. Reaching the aprons puts restrictions on how teams are able to manipulate their rosters and the methods in which they can add players.
As for Butler and the Heat, they were able to re-sign players like Haywood Highsmith, Thomas Bryant and Kevin Love while also adding Alec Burks. However, they did lose Caleb Martin to the 76ers as a free agent after reportedly “intense” contract talks that left the Heat “dumbfounded.”
After Butler was unable to compete in the 2024 NBA Playoffs because of an injury, there was increasing speculation that he might leave the Heat this offseason. However, it looks like he will be back in Miami for another round as the Heat try to return to the NBA Finals after falling well short of that goal in the 2023-24 campaign.
