The Mavericks had only signed Butler two years ago, and Butler had just made an All-NBA team!
And now they wanted to turn around and sell him?
That was a little hard to justify!
"Yes. They just hadn't made a move yet, so I got ahead of them and gave them a show of force."
Butler's next words left Tang Tian speechless.
And now that the die had been cast, it did not seem entirely impossible upon closer thought.
Carlisle's standing with the Mavericks was similar to Popovich's with the Spurs. Cuban trusted Carlisle absolutely.
The conflict between Butler and Carlisle had surfaced as early as the middle of last season, and it had directly affected the team's performance in the Playoffs.
Looking at it that way, Cuban might indeed do this out of support for Carlisle. After all, his true temperament was something few owners could match.
Besides, the Mavericks had a powerful roster and were aiming for a championship. They certainly did not want discordant voices lingering around.
Of course, the most important thing was that Butler had signed a four-year contract with the Mavericks, but it was a 3+1 deal, with the final year being a Player option.
At the rate things were escalating, Butler would likely opt out and leave outright next summer.
By then, the Mavericks would come up empty-handed and get nothing in return.
In contrast, trading Butler while he had made an All-NBA team and his market value was at its peak, with one year left on his deal, would maximize his Trade Value.
So after carefully analyzing it, it was perfectly reasonable for the Mavericks to trade Butler.
It was just unexpected that Butler had spent two years with the Mavericks and had connections within the organization, allowing him to speak out