Potential Trade Packages and Landing Spots for Chicago Bulls Star Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler left his early June sit-down with Chicago Bulls brass under the impression he would not be placed on the trade block, according to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
So much for that.
Multiple sources told CSN Chicago's Vincent Goodwill the Bulls are "shopping Butler to many teams." Not gauging his value. Not answering phone calls. Not listening to unsolicited offers.
Shopping.
Plenty of squads have since been linked to the All-Star wing, but only a handful have the juice to broker a deal. Remember: Butler isn't Paul George. He cannot explore free agency for another two seasons. And the Bulls are not the Indiana Pacers. They actually have leverage in negotiations.
Two years is nothing in NBA time, so Butler's free agency will come into play at the bargaining table. But the Bulls are still in position to extract a collection of first-round goodies, intriguing prospects and team-friendly contracts from any blockbuster.
Butler's most serious admirers must be prepared to meet their demands.
Jimmy and Thibs Reunited in Minny, and It Feels So Good(?)
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Chicago Bulls Recieve: PG Kris Dunn, PF/C Jordan Hill, SG Zach LaVine, No. 7 pick
Minnesota Timberwolves Receive: SG/SF Jimmy Butler, PG Cameron Payne
Jimmy Butler and Tom Thibodeau, Take 2. Or is it Take 3?
The Timberwolves showed interest in dealing for Butler ahead of last year's draft when they owned the No. 5 pick and Thibs wasn't yet two months into his coach-president title, per ESPN.com's Marc Stein and Chad Ford. Another year of separation has not quelled curiosity. Minnesota is revisiting the bargaining table despite Chicago's "elevated" asking price, according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Any deal this time around will look a lot like last season's framework—starting with one of Zach LaVine or Andrew Wiggins in addition to Kris Dunn (ergo, a top-five pick). But where routine filler might've pushed that trade through the first time around, it's not enough now.
Both LaVine and Wiggins are extension-eligible, and it's hard for the Bulls to view either of them as viable rebuilding pieces when they're one year out from commanding max or near-max money. The No. 7 pick is a necessary inclusion, especially with Lavine working his way back from a torn ACL.
Accepting this package allows the Bulls to induce reset, even with Dwyane Wade informing them he'll pick up his $23.8 million option for 2017-18, per Goodwill. Only $3 million of Rajon Rondo's contract is guaranteed, so they can pay him to go away and immediately slide Dunn into the starting point guard spot alongside a healthy LaVine and whomever they draft at No. 7. Jonathan Isaac or Jayson Tatum are the preferable fits if one of them falls that far.
Butler turns the Timberwolves into an instant postseason contender—for real this time. He'll lead fast breaks, stroke threes off passes from Wiggins, Ricky Rubio and Karl-Anthony Towns and bring All-Defense credentials to a roster that desperately needs it.
Adding Butler to the books does eat into the Timberwolves' cap space, but they'll have enough left over to sign another impact free agent. They just waived Nikola Pekovic, and his $11.6 million salary for 2017-18 is expected to be wiped from their ledger. Parlay that cap space into a second established contributor, and the Timberwolves' rebuild gets kicked into hyperdrive.
Phoenix Hits the 'Abort Rebuild, Because Why Not?' Button
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Chicago Bulls Receive: PF/C Dragan Bender, PG/SG Brandon Knight, No. 4 pick, 2018 top-seven protected pick (via Miami Heat)
Phoenix Suns Receive: SG/SF Jimmy Butler, PF Bobby Portis, No. 38 pick
In the non-surprise of the century, K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune identified the Suns as one of the many teams lusting after Butler. They need a high-end three-and-D prospect to offset Devin Booker's defensive rawness, and this regime has been hunting for a star since before it signed Tyson Chandler as LaMarcus Aldridge bait in 2015.
Giving up Dragan Bender, last season's fourth overall pick, is a tough blow. Ankle surgery limited him to just 43 appearances as a rookie, and at 7'1" with three-point range and quick feet, he's billed as a half-unicorn prospect—not quite Towns or Kristaps Porzingis, but close to it.
Still, the Suns have Chandler and Marquese Chriss on the roster. At least one of Alex Len and Alan Williams, both restricted free agents, should be back in the fold as well. There's enough personnel up front to overlook Bender's departure, particularly with Bobby Portis inbound.
Shedding the final three years of Brandon Knight's deal is big as well. The Suns get to stay flexible at a time when they'll never be more appealing to free agents. And while forfeiting the No. 4 pick hurts, their ideal choice is a high-ceiling wing. Butler is what they would hope that player becomes.
There isn't anything for the Bulls to think about here. If they're serious about moving Butler, they're consigning themselves to a rebuild. What better way to start that transition with two top-four prospects and another first-rounder coming down the pipeline?
Paying the $43.9 million left on Knight's pact isn't that bad under the circumstances. He's only 25, the Bulls don't have an ironclad point guard of the future, and it's worth getting a hold on the Miami Heat pick.
The King of Cleveland('s New Running Mate)
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Chicago Bulls Receive: PF/C Dragan Bender, SG/SF Iman Shumpert, No. 4 pick (via Phoenix)
Cleveland Cavaliers Receive: SG/SF Jimmy Butler, PG/SG Brandon Knight
Phoenix Suns Receive: PG Jerian Grant, PF Kevin Love, 2021 top-10 protected first-round pick (via Cleveland)
No front office stability? No problem. Butler reportedly wants to play for the Cavaliers anyway, according to the Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley:
"One of the sources indicated that Butler would even push his front office to get the deal done, which is a huge change of direction for Butler, who has told both general manager Gar Forman and vice president of basketball operations John Paxson numerous times over the last year that he didn't want to be traded. But that was before the Eastern Conference powerhouse Cavaliers became a possible destination."
With at least two years separating him from free agency (player option), Butler only has so much leverage. He cannot coerce the Bulls into accepting Kevin Love as the primary return for his services. He'll need a third team to make his apparent wish come true.
And that's if this is even his wish. Sources told ESPN.com's Marc Stein Cleveland has been informed Butler wants to stay in Chicago. But these rumors aren't going away, so the Cavaliers aren't, either.
If the Suns get word that Butler doesn't plan on sticking around with them beyond 2018-19, they're the perfect third-party facilitators. They've already balked at a deal for Love that sends the No. 4 pick to Chicago, according to ESPN.com's Dave McMenamin and Brian Windhorst, but the party changes if Cleveland includes that 2021 choice.
Rumors surrounding LeBron James' future with the Cavaliers began swirling before the end of the 2017 NBA Finals. People around the league, both inside and outside Cleveland, believe he'll leave in 2018, according to Wojnarowski (via NBC Sports). And even if he stays, there's no guarantee the Cavaliers are world-beaters into 2020-21, increasing the value of that 2021 pick.
The Bulls get a similar return to what they'd receive in a direct agreement with Phoenix. They don't snag that Heat selection, but the burden of Knight's contract no longer falls on them. The Suns get a star who can't leave until 2019 at the earliest (player option), while the Cavaliers net a player capable of almost leveling the playing field against the Golden State Warriors.
Denver Makes the All-In Play
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Chicago Bulls Receive: SG/SF Will Barton, PF Kenneth Faried, PG/SG Jamal Murray, No. 13 pick
Denver Nuggets Receive: SG/SF Jimmy Butler, PG Cameron Payne
It's deja vu for the Denver Nuggets. They were on the "periphery" of the Butler chase at February's trade deadline, according to CSN Chicago's Vincent Goodwill. It's only fair they rejoin the fray now.
Jamal Murray's exit is the hardest one for them to stomach, but his absence is manageable. Gary Harris, Nikola Jokic, Emmanuel Mudiay and Jameer Nelson can handle the playmaking in totality, and Butler gives them another ball-handler to orchestrate sets.
Plus, this trade doesn't remove the Nuggets from free-agency contention. It saves them $3.4 million when factoring in the $2.2 million salary of the No. 13 pick. Renouncing the rights to Danilo Gallinari opens up more than $37 million in room—money that'll pique superstars' attention when coming from a team with Butler and Jokic in the fold.
Grabbing Murray and the No. 13 pick is a win for the Bulls. They finally secure a lead guard worth building around, and that late-lottery selection can be used on a stretchy big (Zach Collins, Lauri Markkanen) or a wing who slips down the board (Luke Kennard, Donovan Mitchell).
Kenneth Faried is an understated fit. He has two years left on a cap-friendly contract and has shown he'll back up players younger than himself.
Will Barton could wind up being a rental with free agency on the horizon, but he's paired his top-shelf explosion with flashes of shooting, playmaking savvy and, less frequently, defensive aggression. The Bulls may determine he's yet another keeper.
Things Get Interesting in La La Land
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Chicago Bulls Receive: SF/PF Luol Deng, PF Julius Randle, No. 2 pick
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: SG/SF Jimmy Butler, PG Cameron Payne
This trade has three layers to it.
First, there's the Los Angeles Lakers' most recent trade. As Wojnarowski first reported Tuesday, they flipped D'Angelo Russell and the final three years of Timofey Mozgov's contract to the Brooklyn Nets for Brook Lopez's expiring deal and the No. 27 pick.
Ditching Mozgov's $16 million cap hit in 2018-19 will prove instrumental in Los Angeles' pursuit of George next summer—if team president Magic Johnson waits that long. That brings us to the second layer.
The Lakers are trying to acquire George from the Pacers for a package built around the 27th and 28th selections, along with one of Jordan Clarkson and Julius Randle, according to Stein. It's a lowball offer, but Indiana may not get anything better with George entering free agency next summer and reportedly hell-bent on relocating to Hollywood.
Now for the third layer.
Knowing all of this, the Lakers could theoretically strike a trade for both George and Butler. They must wait for both the 27th and 28th picks to turn into cap hits or send Corey Brewer to Indiana to make the money work, but if their barebones framework for George pans out, it's a possibility.
Flipping the No. 2 selection is a calculated gamble when Russell is out of town. But the Lakers get to evaluate Cameron Payne, and Brandon Ingram deserves some run at point forward. Butler can also direct some half-court sets.
Equally important: The Lakers get rid of Deng's deal. That lets them take on Butler and George while still setting them up to have max cap space in 2018 if they renounce Lopez and offload another small contract. (Sup, LeBron?)
Can there really be a world in which the Lakers turn Brewer, Clarkson, Deng, Mozgov, Randle, Russell, No. 2, No. 27 and No. 28 into Butler, George and Lopez? If there can be, the Bulls should't be the ones to ruin it. They're landing a top-two pick and have a year to figure out whether Randle is part of the big picture. That justifies absorbing the final three years of Deng's pact.
Danny Ainge and Jimmy Butler, Together at Last
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Chicago Bulls Receive: SG Malachi Richardson, SG/SF Garrett Temple, C Tyler Zeller (non-guaranteed), No. 5 pick (via Sacramento), 2019 lottery-protected first-round pick (from Boston, via Los Angeles Clippers)
Boston Celtics Receive: SG/SF Jimmy Butler
Sacramento Kings Receive: PG Demetrius Jackson (non-guaranteed), PF Jordan Mickey (non-guaranteed), PG Cameron Payne, No. 3 pick (via Boston)
As one league executive texted to Goodwill about Butler: "It's either Boston or Cleveland, but he's going."
By this logic, the Celtics are heavy favorites to complete the blockbuster. Some of their half-baked offers are better than the Cavaliers' best proposals. But Goodwill heard they "rebuffed" the Bulls' pitch to flip Butler for the No. 3 pick "straight-up"—a puzzling development to say the least.
"If it's true that Boston said no for this offer, then they're either in love with their draft pick choice or there's some information missing here," CBS Sports' Chris Barnewell wrote. "It's insane that Chicago's value of Butler is so low they would only take a single draft pick in this year's draft for him, but it's even crazier the Celtics would say no to that."
Boston isn't escaping Butler negotiations without coughing up this year's draft pick. End of story. But it's possible team president Danny Ainge recoiled at the inclusion of Avery Bradley or Jae Crowder, as he reportedly did leading into the February trade deadline, per Turner Sports' David Aldridge.
Tabbing Sacramento for third-team duty could help Boston keep both. The Kings are "starved" for Josh Jackson, according The Vertical's Chris Mannix. Forking over Malachi Richardson and Garrett Temple is a reasonable price to pay if it effectively assures Jackson will be available when you're on the clock. At the very least, using Richardson and Temple to move up is better than relinquishing the No. 10 pick.
The Bulls don't get a top-three selection for their troubles, but they do get two extra first-round goodies in Richardson and that Clippers selection. Temple will also be cheaper to keep than Bradley when he reaches free agency in 2018 (player option).
In many ways, the Celtics only prolong the inevitable by retaining Bradley. They'll need to dump him, among others, if chasing Gordon Hayward is in the cards. If not, there's still no way Marcus Smart, Isaiah Thomas and him are all on the roster in 2018-19.
Going this route, though, allows for untapped flexibility. The Celtics can extract additional assets out of a Bradley salary dump, dangle him in a separate Paul George trade or keep him long term. Either way, they get Butler without closing other doors. And that's a big deal.
Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale) and listen to his Hardwood Knocks podcast co-hosted by B/R's Andrew Bailey.
Stats courtesy of Basketball Reference or NBA.com. Salary information via Basketball Insiders and RealGM.
