2017 NBA Draft: 5 possible draft-day trades we want to see

2. Jimmy Buckets in Beantown

Up until this point, none of these deals significantly alter expectations for the upcoming 2017-18 season. Melo returning to Denver would be a great story, and of course we live to see the Kings go full KANGZ, but our first three trades don’t significantly change the NBA landscape.

Not so with our No. 2 trade, which sees Ainge finally turn all those damn assets into a tangible return for the Boston Celtics.

On Monday, reports emerged that the Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers were trying to make a move for Jimmy Butler.

The Chicago Bulls have waffled back and forth on his availability, and for the front office that signed Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo after saying the team needed to get younger and more athletic, their word can’t really be taken at face value anyway. Bearing that in mind, it would not be surprising if Butler were 100 percent available right now.

A Tom Thibodeau reunion in Minnesota would be fun, but not fun enough for the team to mortgage its long-term future. With GM David Griffin getting hosed over by the Cavs, it’s hard to see anyone in Cleveland’s front office stepping up to the plate on such short notice to put together a winning Jimmy Butler bid.

Besides, in a bidding war, we all know who wins once the Celtics join the party.

It’d take a considerable haul for Boston to reel in Butler, who is still under contract through at least the 2018-19 season (with a $19.8 million player option for 2019-20). However, considering his excellent defense and the 23.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game he averaged this season, he’d be worth the sacrifice to add a legitimate second star alongside Isaiah Thomas.

The Celtics had no answer for LeBron James in the conference finals this year, and though Butler wouldn’t be able to “stop” the King, he’s one of the few players in the league who can actually hold his own in a seven-game playoff series.

IT and Al Horford aren’t getting any younger, and after trading down from the No. 1 pick, the Celtics need a legitimate game-changing trade to validate the move.

Boston is close to reaching legitimate contender status, and bringing Jimmy Buckets to Beantown would get them there. Jae Crowder is great, and his blue-collar work ethic is a perfect fit in Boston, but he’s no Jimmy Butler.

Sending Crowder, Tyler Zeller, the No. 5 and No. 10 picks (or the No. 3 pick, if the previous Celtics trade on our list doesn’t come to fruition) and that 2018 Los Angeles Lakers/2019 Sacramento Kings first-rounder would be an impressive package for the Bulls, who would want to rebuild from the ground up.

This deal would give Chicago an underrated wing in Crowder, Zeller’s non-guaranteed deal (for salary-matching purposes) and 2-3 first round picks over the next 2-3 years. If the Bulls accept building around Butler for the uphill battle it is, a package like this would be a pretty great haul.

For those tired of seeing the Cavaliers breeze through the East every year, for those tired of seeing Butler waste away under an incompetent front office and for those Bulls faithful tired of playing for the eighth seed, a blockbuster deal like this would make everyone happy.