Jimmy Butler Trade Isn't Worth Decimating Lakers' Roster amid Latest NBA Rumors
The Los Angeles Lakers arguably need to acquire a third star in order to crack the NBA's championship race.
A star just so happened to surface on the trade rumor mill.
Could this be a match? Probably not.
The star in question is Miami Heat swingman Jimmy Butler, a six-time All-Star who was twice steered his squad into the NBA Finals, including a bout with these same Lakers in the 2019-20 bubble. He is down to the final guaranteed season of his contract (player option for next season), which probably explains why the Heat are reportedly "open to listening to offers" for him, per ESPN's Shams Charania.
Butler's agent, Bernie Lee, has reportedly "indicated in league circles" that Butler's early list of preferred destinations includes the Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Golden State Warriors. It isn't hard to envision the Lakers getting linked to these talks soon, since they need a star, and he's made some wink-wink comments about this club in the past.
Plus, while a few specific clubs were mentioned, Charania's report added that what Butler wants more than anything is to join "a win-now title contender in any trade."
Some might quibble over whether the Lakers actually fit that description. This team certainly doesn't appear championship-ready at the moment. L.A. has gone just 3-7 since its 10-4 start and sits an unsightly 22nd in net efficiency rating, per NBA.com.
Having said that, any team following the lead of 39-year-old LeBron James and 31-year-old Anthony Davis is very much operating in win-right-now mode. And any one with James, Davis and Butler on the same roster would surely spark some fear into any postseason opponents.
Butler would help check some helpful boxes for the Purple and Gold.
His toughness and defensive versatility would be significant need-fillers. His scoring punch and playmaking would help the ease burden on the Lakers' current stars. He's even active enough on the glass to attack some of the club's rebounding deficiencies.
So, why shouldn't L.A. be all-in on bringing Butler to Hollywood? For a few different reasons, actually.
For starters, the cost of acquiring Butler would be significant—both in terms of the trade to get him and then the new contract to keep him beyond the 2024-25 campaign. The Lakers would have to gut their roster just to make the math work on adding his $48.8 million salary, as a trade would likely need to include at least three of D'Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt and Austin Reaves.
It's hard to tell how much interest the Heat would have in any combination of that group, meaning the Lakers would likely need multiple sweeteners to pique their interest. The two future first-rounders they're allowed to trade may not be enough, meaning L.A. might have to consider cutting ties with promising (and productive) rookie Dalton Knecht or Max Christie, who has struggled this season but flashed intriguing three-and-D traits across his first two NBA seasons.
L.A. would wind up incredibly top-heavy after a trade, which isn't necessarily the worst thing, but would be pretty precarious when it's fate would almost exclusively be in the hands of three 30-somethings who have had trouble staying on the floor of late. And that's just looking through the lens of this season. If the Lakers wound up giving Butler a big deal over the offseason, that could spiral in a hurry if his absences increase.
It's also worth noting that for all of the areas in which Butler could help this team, he's not what you'd call a perfect fit for a third star to team with Davis and James. Offensive spacing could be awfully cramped, since neither Davis nor Butler shoots a lot of threes, while James has normally been more adequate than awesome as an outside shooter.
So, while the idea of putting Butler on the Purple and Gold has some fun elements, the reality is clunky, complicated and not what the Lakers need to become title contenders.
