NBA Trades: Lakers acquire Jimmy Butler from Heat in possible deal.
The Los Angeles Lakers are seemingly on their last legs as contenders, at least until the next great star manifests their way into Purple and Gold. Still, amidst incredibly odd rumors that LeBron might force his way to Golden State, the Lakers have the opportunity to put one last title push together, and the acquisition of Jimmy Butler would go a long way to that end.
The Lakers have little in terms of draft capital, and their young talent is likely to be held onto dearly, but they have serviceable role players who, in combination with their limited draft assets, could be enough to entice Miami.
The offer: D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick
Miami comes out of this deal looking fine. Not great, but fine. No single player comes close to what Butler provides for the Heat, but each role player serves a purpose in their own right. The Heat need a lead guard, and while unending conversations could be had about the inefficiencies of Russell, he would be an upgrade over Terry Rozier.
Similarly, Rui Hachimura would provide an upgrade over Haywood Highsmith. Miami wouldn't receive a player close to Butler in the deal, but they could perhaps recreate him in the aggregate, all while maintaining three tradeable contracts moving forward.
The issue for Los Angeles is that they would lose three starters, who are also their third, fourth, and fifth scorers. If LA could incorporate Gabe Vincent into the deal over, say, Austin Reaves, that would instantly change the grade.
As helpful as Butler would be in elevating the team's ceiling, their floor would fall out from underneath them. It would be difficult to imagine a team based on three players with spotty attendance would make for a true contender after sacrificing any and all depth.
Grade for Heat: C+
Grade for Lakers: D
NBA Trades: The Spurs pair Butler with Wembanyama in possible deal.
The San Antonio Spurs are an interesting choice for this experiment. Year two of Victor Wembanyama's career is off to a roaring start as he is already the unquestioned Defensive Player of the Year, and yet, the Spurs are a middling team, sitting in the playoff hunt rather than at the table.
Making a move, consolidating some young, but aging talent, could make sense for San Antonio and questions about matching timelines could be answered in part by pointing out that the team added Chris Paul this offseason. But is doubling down on aging vets really the best path forward for the Wembanyama-led squad?
Depends on the offer I suppose.
The offer: Keldon Johnson, Harrison Barnes, Blake Wesley, Chicago’s top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick
Keldon Johnson's inclusion seemed like a foregone conclusion. If there's an odd man out in San Antone, it's likely Johnson. Where the deal begins to lose its legs is in the inclusion of Harrison Barnes.
Barnes has been a reliable three-point threat through the early going of the season. While his salary is borderline necessary to help a deal go through, the Spurs would be better off pursuing a star, potentially a young one at that, whose cap hit isn't quite so high.
For the Heat, the pieces are fine, and they fit well enough, but it's a far from inspiring deal. The highlight is Chicago's 2025 first-round pick, which is top-10 protected in 2025, top-9 protected in 26 and 27, and drops off altogether in 2028. Again, the pieces are fine but far from inspiring, and with Chicago signaling an upcoming tank, it could be a while, if ever, until Miami collects on that pick.