How the Hawks Could Trade For Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler’s name continues to be included in trade rumors. How could the Atlanta Hawks work a trade to acquire him?
The Chicago Bulls have had an interesting off season this summer. On June 22 they traded former MVP Derrick Rose along with Justin Holiday and a second round pick to the New York Knicks for Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant. They also signed last season’s assist leader, Rajon Rondo to a two year, $28 million dollar contract and Dwyane Wade to a two year, $47 million dollar deal as well.
With the trade of Rose and the departures of both Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah during free agency, it was widely believed that the Bulls would opt to fill the roster with young, athletic players. By investing in Rondo and Wade though, that plan seems to have unraveled and come all the way off the tracks. Apparently, the Bulls front office has gained a reputation for not really knowing what they are doing. Check out what Steve Rosenbloom of The Chicago Tribune had to say about them:
"“The latest report — or at least the latest I saw — came from ESPN’s Zach Lowe, who cited sources claiming Butler is off the trade market. None of that feverish draft night talk of a deal with the Magic, Celtics or Thibowolves.To which I would confidently opine: maybe, maybe not. This is not aimed at Lowe’s reporting. This targets Bulls management wonks because with those guys you never know because they never know. Truth is fluid, if it exists at all with them. It doesn’t matter whether one of Lowe’s sources is interim Bulls GM Gar Forman. Especially if one of Lowe’s sources is Forman.”"
They have definitely tested the waters of trading Jimmy Butler before with multiple teams. On the night of the draft, they were in serious discussions with the Celtics first. Boston was ready to deal the No. 3 pick, Jae Crowder and Avery Bradley to Chicago for Butler. Those talks eventually fizzled out.
Former Bulls coach and current coach and president of the Timberwolves, Tom Thibodeau, was also very interested in a reunion with Butler. He reportedly offered the No. 5 pick and Zach Lavine to the Bulls for the 6’7″ guard/forward. While negotiations reached the final stages there too, the Bulls ultimately declined. It’s possible that the time was just not right to move him.
It would be awesome for the Hawks to acquire Butler. He signed a 5-year, $95 million dollar deal just last year on July 1st and is one of the biggest bargains you would find throughout the league. His average annual salary of $18,467,976 is actually in the same neighborhood of what they are currently paying Kent Bazemore. Last season he posted 20.9 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
Besides Dennis Schroeder, Dwight Howard and Kent Bazemore, Atlanta should be willing to part with anybody else if the Bulls would indeed like to trade Butler. The 26 year old all star is the type of elite level player that usually never become available in the trade market. Pairing Butler with Bazemore on the wings would wreak havoc on the rest of the NBA.
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It’s difficult to gage what exactly it would take to get the Bulls to agree to a trade since they have been so unsure of themselves. On paper, their roster is too heavily stocked with isolation based offensive players right now. All of Rondo, Wade and Butler need the ball in their hands to operate most effectively.
If the Chicago Bulls are in the mood to get quality young, athletic talents in return, the Hawks would seem to be an ideal trade partner. By drafting Taurean Prince and DeAndre Bembry, Hawks president Mike Budenholzer has two solid prospects with high upside. It would almost certainly require the inclusion of the Hawks 2017 first round draft pick for an offer to be considered.
Every possible scenario that lands the Hawks Jimmy Butler will be largely dependent on how enamored the Bulls are with Paul Millsap. He would balance out their lineup because of his unselfish play and provide them needed talent to the frontcourt. It’s possible that the Bulls would not be overly excited about getting Millsap who can just up and leave next summer, but he is a fellow all star and makes enough money to make the trade work.
Next: Dwight Howard Can Silence The Critics
I believe that there isn’t a price too high to trade for a star like Butler, especially since he would be under the Hawks control through the 2020 season. A package of Millsap, Prince, Bembry and the 2017 first round pick would at the very least give them fair compensation for the gold medalist. It’s all about getting them to pull the trigger. Atlanta really should pull out all the stops.