All eyes are on the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics heading into Thursday’s 2017 NBA trade deadline. Jimmy Butler is reportedly available at the right price, and Boston has the assets to get a deal done.
The question remains whether or not the two sides will be able to come to an agreement within the next two days. In order for that to happen, Chicago must commit to rebuilding, while Boston has to give up its top trade pieces.
The Bulls and Celtics are two teams trending in opposite directions. Chicago tried and failed to become a contender this offseason, considering signing Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo hasn’t given them a winning record at the All-Star break. Boston, on the other hand, is the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with seemingly the best chance to upset LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Acquiring Butler would give Boston an even better chance to get back to the NBA Finals. Starting in the All-Star Game with averages of 24.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, Butler has arguably turned himself into a top-10 player. Adding him to a roster that already includes Isaiah Thomas (29.9 points per game) and Al Horford (four-time All-Star) might make the Celtics a legitimate contender.
Butler wouldn’t simply help the Celtics this year. The small forward could make Boston a top NBA team for the next few years. He’s under contract for two more seasons at just more than $36 million total, a very team-friendly salary under the current salary cap.
That contract, though, could make Chicago hesitant to trade Butler. They might try to rebuild around the forward, hoping they are ready to contend in two years when Butler is in line to re-sign a longer deal.
Trading Butler for Chicago means acquiring pieces to help them in the future, and Boston certainly has the ability to accommodate them. The Celtics have the option to swap first-round picks with the Brooklyn Nets this year, and the Nets currently have the best chance of any team to win the top selection in June’s star-studded draft. Boston outright owns Brooklyn’s 2018 first-rounder, which will almost assuredly be near the top of the draft.
Boston can also trade Jaylen Brown, whom they selected third overall in last year’s draft. According to The Vertical’s Chris Mannix, the Celtics’ willingness to deal the small forward might be the deciding factor. Brown is averaging just 5.7 points per game as a rookie, but Boston believes the 20-year-old can become a superstar.
One star player has already been dealt this week with the New Orleans Pelicans acquiring DeMarcus Cousins from the Sacramento Kings. Between Boston’s assets and Chicago’s star forward, another blockbuster deal could go down at any moment.
After starting in the All-Star Game in New Orleans on Feb. 19, 2017, Jimmy Butler has a chance to be traded from the Chicago Bulls to the Boston Celtics. Photo: Reuters/Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
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