The Jimmy Butler trade saga continues as more teams are being predicted as potential destinations.

NBA insider Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo! Sports recently released an article listing more potential destinations for the disgruntled star and one of those destinations included the Los Angeles Lakers.

O’Connor says, “Incoming future picks from Los Angeles are among the highest value assets in the NBA considering the uncertain future of LeBron James. Putting even just one of those in a trade could surpass what other teams can offer. Salary matching would get messy, but something would work by including D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent (welcome back to Miami!) and Jaxson Hayes. Not much there would excite Miami except the picks. Adding Butler would also make the Lakers comically old, so unless they’re ready to go all-in on one last LeBron-era push, this feels like a stretch.”

To acquire Butler, the Lakers would have to give up their good role players such as Russell and Hachimura to even come close to matching salaries. They would also need to give multiple first-round picks. Vincent seems like a must-add as well in terms of salary constraints with his $11 million salary. A reunion in Miami may be beneficial for him as his best basketball was played during the 2023 NBA playoffs and he has been very inconsistent since becoming a member of the Lakers.

The Heat are a team that doesn’t seem headed to a full rebuild if they move on from Butler. Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo have come into their own as NBA stars. Acquiring players like Russell and Hachimura could benefit a team where Spoelstra is consistent in getting the best out of his players over the years.

As O’Connor said, the LeBron James era could be coming to an end soon and it’s possible the Lakers try and go all-in by trading for Butler.

Sean Jordan is a contributor to Miami Heat On Sports Illustrated. He can be reached at sjorda06@syr.edu.

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