We all know sending Jimmy Butler to Boston would undoubtedly put them on par, if not above the Cleveland Cavaliers. We would see not only begin to see powerhouse NBA finals, but the conference semis would regain some much-needed suspense as well. The benefit for the Celtics is plain and simple: you get to add an all-NBA player to a team that already locked in the #1 seed this past season.
Jimmy Butler
His contract doesn’t help Boston’s odds. Butler is locked in for three more seasons at a bargain price. With the CBA allowing for monstrous contracts to keep being signed, Butler’s contract will surely be comparable to the one Steph Curry just played out.
Nonetheless, that’s good news for Chicago. With the addition of Butler, Boston would not only get a top 15 player in this league, but would also retain loads of cap space to further beef up their roster. Chicago should be looking for a premium and it’s not unreasonable to say they’ll get it.
What would it take for Chicago to agree?
The Bulls need a big man and will surely need a higher quality small forward if Butler is moved. Boston will want to move Jae Crowder; however, Chicago should have their sights set elsewhere. With Rondo and Wade entering the last year of their contracts (and with neither likely to be retained), the Bulls oldest player at the start of the 2018 season is set to be a 30-year old Robin Lopez.
They must keep bringing in younger players until they can find the next big thing; inexperienced players take on smaller contracts and open cap space to lure an established superstar later down the line.
Jaylen Brown would serve as a great immediate replacement for Butler’s starting spot. He was one of the most impressive players on the floor for Boston in the Cavs series, and that’s speaking volumes considering he was often matched up against LeBron.
Bull’s rookie Paul Zipser also looked promising this past season. That would make for a dangerous duo splitting minutes at the 3 spot while both being able to play the 4 or 2 when the lineup goes big or small respectively.
Draft Picks
Of course, no rebuild can be complete without an influx of high quality draft picks; an art Boston has mastered.
They currently sit with up to seven 1st round picks in the next three drafts. On the contrary, the Bulls currently have 4 picks total in the next three drafts. Yikes.
It would be a tall task to snag Boston’s only first round pick this year considering that they have up to 6 more between the 2018 and 2019 drafts; and frankly, this falls right into the Bulls’ hands. After Fultz and Ball, the talent drop off is quick. Let Boston keep #3 this year; it also makes it much more likely for Chicago to land two future 1st rounders instead.
The Deal
With Butler set to make under $20 million for the next 3 years, getting the 2018 Brooklyn Nets first-round pick is a must. And if Boston threw in the Memphis 2019 1st rounder, this trade becomes a whole lot more appealing.
Jaylen Brown, a 2018 1st round pick and a protected 2019 1st round pick seems fair for both sides.
Boston has a multitude of draft picks at their disposal and if they don’t do something with them soon, their current team may never live up to its true potential. Chicago is stuck in the middle: not bad enough to steal a potential star in the draft and not good enough to be relevant in the playoffs. With the acquisition of Jaylen Brown and the two future draft picks, they could have ten former 1st round picks on their roster from the 2015 through 2019 drafts. What Philadelphia has done is exciting, but people are overlooking the fact the Chicago can do the exact same thing without tanking for years.
