Several teams tried to pry swingman Jimmy Butler away from the Chicago Bulls at this year’s trade deadline, including the Boston Celtics. . The Celtics, and several other NBA teams, have no plans to relent, and will re-visit talks with the Bulls this summer, reports The Vertical’s Chris Mannix:
Indeed, no one is untouchable. The palace intrigue that surrounded Butler and Hoiberg prompted several teams to inquire about Butler’s availability at the trade deadline. Though they were rebuffed, several rival executives told The Vertical they intend to try again. Boston was among the teams trying to pry away Butler in February, and several executives point to Orlando, with its treasure trove of young players and defensive-minded head coach, as a team to watch closely in the pursuit of Butler.
The Celtics would no doubt love to have Butler. He’d be a perfect fit alongside Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley as a tough, gritty, physical defender. He’d also bring the star power and scoring that are Boston’s primary weaknesses.
The Magic would love to have Butler also, as would pretty much any NBA team. The Magic already have Victor Oladipo at the 2, but Butler’s more of a natural 3 anyway. Now that Orlando traded away Tobias Harris, there would be an open spot at the small forward position for Butler.
If any team does manage to get Butler, they’ll count themselves extremely lucky. Butler is one of the best 2-way players in the league, probably second only to Kawhi Leonard and Paul George(and possibly Draymond Green).
This season, Butler has averaged a career-high 21 points to go with 5.2 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and a career-high 1.9 steals per game.
