
Jimmy Butler and his advisors clearly manipulated their situation. Tim Warner/Getty Images
Here is a public service announcement for all Rockets fans as you await the start of the regular season. No matter how many times you read a "breaking news" trade rumor about your team, don't believe it unless you see it in an official press release. With cut down day approaching and teams being forced to release players that are veterans or have value across the NBA, you are going to hear tons of rumored trades and moves and almost all of them are untrue. Agents and general managers use writers, bloggers and social media as an effective tool in doing their job. If they get enough people talking about the tidbits and tips that they "secretly" give out, the fire storm that ensuses will create a towering inferno of results for their clients and teams.
You see, every agent has a few "go-to" writers, bloggers and media members that they have built a relationship with, that they will strategically slip secrets, information and leads to. General Managers have their allies as well and they use them as they see fit. Some of these media contacts are rewarded with exclusive interviews and access to the team and players if they play along and publish the information supplied to them. It's fast becoming one of the most lucrative moves in sports because of the results it can create and the positive outcomes that can be tied directly to the breaking news that started the entire chain of events.
Take the Jimmy Butler situation as an example. We all know by now what transpired late last week and how Butler's dramatic return to the team and his first practice sent NBA fans across the country reeling. Did it ever cross your mind that it was all a set up and carefully scripted plan to get Jimmy out of Minny and to another destination in the league that he no doubt wants to play for? Well take it for what it's worth, but if you thought it was purely coincidence that ESPN and Rachel Nichols just happened to be in Minneapolis for an exclusive one-on-one interview with Butler, I have some swamp land I'd like to sell you in Florida. On top of that, do you think the interview would have been must see TV and stir up as much conversation, if he had just put his head down, worked his butt off and finished practice without incident? No way! The whole thing was a ploy by Butler's camp to force the issue and get their client out of a bad situation. Since he still has a year left on his contract and risked losing money if he continued his hold out and stayed away from the team, he made an educated decision and carried out a plan to get the ball rolling on his mission to get shipped out of town.
As the week went on, we saw more rumors about the Timberwolves re-engaging the Rockets in talks, a possible Pat Riley profanity-laced conversation with Tom Thibodeau and more. This is what's known as a counter strike, where management tips off hand-selected members of the media to get the word out and create a story that will have traction and create publicity and conversation across the basketball world. In the process, it will also sound the alarm to the teams that were in deep trade discussions for Butler in the last week or so, that they will not be getting the franchise player that they had coveted. In most cases, the reaction to the hot, new rumor is a quick call to see if the shunned teams can make a last ditch, final offer that no doubt includes sweetening the pot from what was originally offered.
The take away for you is that you should never get too excited until a deal is official and reported as "done." Until then, the game of Cat and Mouse will continue and those of you that read or hear the rumors and take the time to spread the news are merely pawns in a bigger chess game being played by agents and front offices everywhere. So just sit back, relax and realize your team is ready to run it back as they pursue the always elusive Larry O'Brien trophy and it's a long season ahead. Rumors will continue to fly all the way to the trade deadline, so be cautious and be prepared.
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Nick Chubb didn’t expect to be a Houston Texan. At least, not until he got the call on a quiet Saturday at home and was on a flight the next day. It happened fast — too fast, even, for the four-time Pro Bowler to fully process what it all meant. But now that he’s here, it’s clear this wasn’t a random landing spot. This was a calculated leap, one Chubb had been quietly considering from afar.
The reasons he chose Houston speak volumes not only about where Chubb is in his own career, but where the Texans are as a franchise.
For one, Chubb saw what the rest of the league saw the last two seasons: a young team turning the corner. He admired the Texans from a distance — the culture shift under head coach DeMeco Ryans, the explosive rise of C.J. Stroud, and the physical tone set by players like Joe Mixon. That identity clicked with Chubb. He’d been a fan of Ryans for years, and once he got in the building, everything aligned.
“I came here and saw a bunch of guys who like to work and not talk,” Chubb said. “And I realized I'm a perfect fit.”
As for his health, Chubb isn’t running from the injuries that cost him parts of the past two seasons, he’s owning them. But now, he says, they’re behind him. After a full offseason of training the way he always has — hitting his speed and strength benchmarks — Chubb says he’s feeling the best he has in years. He’s quick to remind people that bouncing back from major injuries, especially the one he suffered in 2023, is rarely a one-year journey. It takes time. He’s given it time.
Then there’s his fit with Mixon. The two aren’t just stylistic complements, they go way back. Same recruiting class, same reputation for running hard, same respect for each other’s games. Chubb remembers dreading matchups against the Bengals in Cleveland, worrying Mixon would take over the game. Now, he sees the opportunity in pairing up. “It’ll be us kinda doing that back-to-back against other defenses,” he said.
He’s also well aware of what C.J. Stroud brings to the table. Chubb watched Stroud nearly dismantle Georgia in the College Football Playoff. Then he saw it again, up close, when Stroud lit up the Browns in the postseason. “He torched us again,” Chubb said. Now, he gets to run alongside him, not against him.
Stroud made a point to welcome Chubb, exchanging numbers and offering support. It may seem like a small thing, but it’s the kind of leadership that helped sell Chubb on the Texans as more than just a good football fit — it’s a good locker room fit, too.
It appears the decision to come to Houston wasn’t part of some master plan. But in retrospect, it makes perfect sense. Chubb is a player with a no-nonsense work ethic, recovering from adversity, looking to write the next chapter of a career that’s far from over. And the Texans? They’re a team on the rise, built around guys who want to do the same.
You can watch the full interview in the video below.
And for those wondering how Joe Mixon feels about Nick Chubb, check out this video from last season. Let's just say he's a fan.
I’ve seen some speculation indicating that Joe Mixon may not be happy the Texans signed Nick Chubb. If that is what you believe, watch this clip from an interview with @greenlight pod last year & get back to me. pic.twitter.com/3vaip85esj
— Houston Stressans (@TexansCommenter) June 11, 2025
*ChatGPT assisted.
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