Los Angeles Lakers stars Austin Reaves, LeBron James and Anthony Davis. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
If Jimmy Butler were placed on the market, a number of teams, including the Los Angeles Lakers, would love to add him to their roster.
The Los Angeles Lakers desperately need to make a huge move this offseason to ensure the team is way more competitive than it was this past season, which saw them lose in the first round against the Denver Nuggets.
Bleacher Report‘s Zach Buckley thinks he has the perfect move: He is proposing an “all-in” trade pitch for the Lakers to land Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler.
According to the plan, the Los Angeles Lakers would send two future first-round picks (2029 and 2031) to Miami along with Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jalen Hood-Schifino, and others. In the proposed trade, Los Angeles would acquire Butler and Thomas Bryant from the Heat.
“The Lakers’ third-star search could take them in a number of different directions, but what about toward South Beach and their biggest adversary in the 2020 Finals?” Buckley detailed in a May 29, 2024 article titled, “1 New Trade Idea for Every NBA Team.” “Sure, the Heat say Butler isn’t available, and most analysts don’t think he is, but if extension negotiations get awkward—as they already kind of did—things could change in a hurry.
“L.A. should have an all-in offer at the ready just in case. Butler wouldn’t help with the Lakers’ shooting shortage, but he’d enhance their offensive menu as a scorer, creator, and downhill attacker.
“… To get this deal done, the Lakers would have to duck below the first apron, which could happen by either D’Angelo Russell declining his $18.7 million player option and exiting or LeBron James returning at something less than his max salary.”
There are still two seasons left on Butler’s $146 million, three-year contract. The athlete has a player option for 2025–2026 and a $48.7 million cap hit in 2024–2025; hence, in 2025, he might be a free agent.Philadelphia 76ers Prepared To Give Jimmy Butler Maximum Extension If He Is Traded
Jimmy Butler (Photo by Megan Briggs/Getty Images)The Philadelphia 76ers made the regrettable decision to sign and deal Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat five years ago, and they are currently working to right the wrong.
According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, if Butler forced a trade from the Heat this summer, the Sixers would not only be interested in trading for him but also give him a max extension.
The Sixers have just about $65 million in cap space this summer, which is more than enough to add a max player.That could give them the edge over a team like the Los Angeles Lakers in their pursuit of Butler.
Jimmy Butler is under contract for $48.8 million next season. Per reports, he’s seeking a two-year, $113 million max extension from Miami.
