Chicago Bulls: Jimmy Butler trade possibilities after NBA Draft Lottery
Phoenix Suns
The Celtics will be followed in the 2017 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers picking second. The Philadelphia 76ers, Phoenix Suns and Sacramento Kings will round out the top five. I honestly do not see any likely landing spots for Butler outside of Boston in the top five.
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If the Lakers make a move, it will likely be for Paul George and the 76ers have never shown a willingness to part with their young pieces. The Kings simply do not have enough to get the Bulls interested in a trade involving Butler. Out of the remaining teams in the top five, the Suns are the only ones who would make any sort of sense.
The Suns were among the biggest losers on lottery night. The had the second-best odds for the first overall pick going into the night and ended up with the fourth pick. It is not an ideal situation for a team looking to pair a star with Devin Booker. If the Suns could have paired Fultz or Lonzo Ball with Booker in the backcourt, they may have been able to get something going. However, that is a pipedream now.
If the Suns could have paired Fultz or Lonzo Ball with Booker in the backcourt, they may have been able to get something going. However, that is a pipedream now. Instead, I could see the Suns looking to make a splash on the trade market and they certainly have the assets to entice the Bulls for Butler.
Something like the 2017 fourth overall pick, point guard Eric Bledsoe and last year’s eighth overall pick Marquese Chriss in exchange for Butler could make sense for both sides. Bledsoe would give the Bulls an exciting point guard to lead the offense, while Chriss would give them a big man with a lot of long-term upside.
The 2017 draft class is loaded with talent and the Bulls would have a chance to find another impact player at number four. Guys like Kansas forward Josh Jackson, Duke forward Jayson Tatum and Kentucky guard Malik Monk would make a ton of sense if available.
On the surface, this may seem like a trade that would benefit the Bulls more than the Suns but them getting a ready-made star like Butler to pair with Booker would give that franchise a much-needed jumpstart. Perhaps the Bulls would be willing to get rid of their own 2017 first-round pick (16th overall) to get the deal done?
Next: 2017 NBA Draft: Point guard targets for the Bulls
The most likely scenario is that the Chicago Bulls do not trade Butler. This front office has always been hesitant to make a big move like this. That being said, both the Celtics and Suns present interesting possibilities for the team if they want to jump feet first into a major rebuild.