The proposal has the Lakers sending Austin Reaves, Rui Hachimura, Jarred Vanderbilt, Jalen Hood-Schifino and two future first rounders (2029, 2031) to Miami. Los Angeles lands Butler and Thomas Bryant from the Heat in the trade proposal.
“The Lakers’ third-star search could take them a number of different directions, but what about toward South Beach and their biggest adversary in the 2020 Finals?” Buckley detailed in a May 29, 2024 article titled, “1 New Trade Idea for Every NBA Team.” “Sure, the Heat say Butler isn’t available, and most analysts don’t think he is, but if extension negotiations get awkward—as they already kind of did—things could change in a hurry.
“L.A. should have an all-in offer at the ready just in case. Butler wouldn’t help with the Lakers’ shooting shortage, but he’d enhance their offensive menu as a scorer, creator and downhill attacker.
To get this deal done, the Lakers would have to duck below the first apron, which could happen by either D’Angelo Russell declining his $18.7 million player option and exiting or LeBron James returning at something less than his max salary.”
Bleacher Report is labeling this as an “all-in” deal for the Lakers, but this is unlikely to have much appeal to the Heat. For Miami to move on from Butler, the Heat would likely need another star in return or a plethora of draft picks.
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