Jimmy Butler is playing untouchable-level basketball, but rival league executives told the Chicago Tribune‘s K.C. Johnson he might not be so untouchable as the NBA nears its Feb. 23 trade deadline:
There are rival executives who believe the Bulls and Celtics will rekindle trade talks centered on Jimmy Butler before the Feb. 23 deadline. The teams held serious talks in June, and the Celtics own the same assets — Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, the Nets‘ first-round picks in 2017 and 2018 — the teams discussed then.
Butler could be in line for a five-year, roughly $230 million extension in 2018 that would begin in 2019-20 should he qualify for the designated player exception. Trading a player of Butler’s stature typically takes place near the draft, when draft positions are known and projected picks slotted.
But last week’s drama and a tough upcoming trip could change the direction of the season and generate internal debate anew.
Getting Butler is going to cost the Boston Celtics a pretty penny—at least one of their Brooklyn Nets picks, and both selections if team president Danny Ainge is trying to construct a deal without giving up Avery Bradley or Jae Crowder. Boston has never been one to go all-in on a single trade offer, as we’ve learned over the years, so it’s unclear if it’d be willing to cobble together the assets it would take to land Butler.
The timelines of the Celtics’ main contributors suggest they would at least have to consider it. Horford is on the wrong side of 30, while Isaiah Thomas’ and Bradley’s deals will only remain below-market values through next season. If they are going to add another superstar, via free agency or trade, rather than wait for future prospects to develop, they’ll need to do so before next summer.
But the Bulls have all the leverage in this situation. Butler is a on a pre-salary-cap-boom deal that runs through 2019-20 (player option), and he’ll likely be eligible for one of those Designated Player Extensions before then—meaning any team that gets him will, if it wants, have him for a long, long time.
Which is why this all feels like noise. The Bulls and Celtics have probably been in constant contact since last year’s draft, with Chicago perhaps waiting for a monster offer that, knowing Boston, isn’t coming.
