As the Los Angeles Lakers search for answers amid a frustrating season, LA might put all their chips on the table to acquire a veteran superstar.
LeBron James turns 40 this month. Is it time for the Lakers to adopt an “all or nothing” mindset? Perhaps they should go after Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat, an idea proposed by Hoops Habit’s Zach Ciavolella on Saturday.
“The Los Angeles Lakers are seemingly on their last legs as contenders, at least until the next great star manifests their way into Purple and Gold,” Ciavolella said.
“Still, amidst incredibly odd rumors that LeBron might force his way to Golden State, the Lakers have the opportunity to put one last title push together, and the acquisition of Jimmy Butler would go a long way to that end.”
“The Lakers have little in terms of draft capital, and their young talent is likely to be held onto dearly, but they have serviceable role players who, in combination with their limited draft assets, could be enough to entice Miami.”
“The offer: D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, an unprotected 2029 first-round pick.”
“Miami comes out of this deal looking fine. … The Heat need a lead guard, and while unending conversations could be had about the inefficiencies of Russell, he would be an upgrade over Terry Rozier.”
“Similarly, Rui Hachimura would provide an upgrade over Haywood Highsmith. Miami wouldn’t receive a player close to Butler in the deal, but they could perhaps recreate him in the aggregate, all while maintaining three tradeable contracts moving forward.”
“The issue for Los Angeles is that they would lose three starters, who are also their third, fourth, and fifth scorers. If LA could incorporate Gabe Vincent into the deal over, say, Austin Reaves, that would instantly change the grade.”
“As helpful as Butler would be in elevating the team’s ceiling, their floor would fall out from underneath them. It would be difficult to imagine a team based on three players with spotty attendance would make for a true contender after sacrificing any and all depth.”
Should the Lakers go all-in on a Butler trade, or would doing so deplete their roster to a harmful degree?