Lakers’ Obstacle in Jimmy Butler Trade Revealed

The Los Angeles Lakers' 2024-25 performance has been a mixed bag, to say the least.

J.J. Redick's team is 14-12 on the season and back in a Play-In Tournament spot following Sunday's hard-fought 116-110 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. Although momentum seems to be back, the Lakers still haven't won back-to-back outings since the middle of November, suggesting that LeBron James & Co. could use more help from GM Rob Pelinka.

The Lakers have been looking to add a third star to play alongside James and Anthony Davis for a few seasons now. One potential target this season is Jimmy Butler, who could be on his way out of Miami if the Heat don't change their stance regarding a potential contract extension.

While adding Butler to Redick's lineup would likely boost the Lakers' championship outlook, one NBA insider has listed a serious hurdle in any potential deal.

Lakers Rumors: Money is an Obstacle in Potential Jimmy Butler Trade

In a mailbag video on Dec. 11, The Athletic's Jovan Buha discussed the Lakers' interest in Butler and what a potential deal could look like.

"I would assume that the Lakers kicked the tires on (a potential Butler trade)," Buha said. "The potential cost for Jimmy Butler would be a (unprotected) first-round pick or two... That's a potential move I think the Lakers would be open to."

But as great as Butler would look playing next to James and Davis, a trade could be easier said than done, according to Buha, for one reason: money.

"(A potential trade) does get tricky because Jimmy's making so much money," Buha said. "Just matching the salary from a contract perspective gets pretty tricky for the Lakers."

Butler's cap hit currently sits at $48.7 million as he plays the season year of the four-year, $184 million contract he signed back in August 2021. The Lakers have the sixth-smallest amount of remaining cap space, per Spotrac, meaning they'll have to get rid of multiple players if they want to bring in the six-time All-Star forward.

With that in mind, Los Angeles could offer Miami various names, including D'Angelo Russell ($18.6 million), Rui Hachimura ($17 million), Gabe Vincent ($11 million), and Jarred Vanderbilt ($10.7 million).

Butler, 35, is a battle-proven forward who's been one of basketball's best players of the last decade, proven by his making five All-NBA and All-Defensive teams throughout his career. He was always a great player, but his game reached a new level after joining the Heat, having averaged 21.2 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.7 steals in the last six seasons.

Having said that, the ex-Marquette product's production is down this year.

Appearing in 18 games so far, Butler is only averaging 18.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.7 assists while his three-point percentage has dropped from 41.4% to 36.0% from last year. He is shooting a career-best 55.0% from the floor, though, proving that he's still valuable to any contending team even if his best days are behind him.

It's clear that the Lakers need help on both sides of the ball. Butler's reliable two-way play would easily help address those issues while ensuring that Los Angeles becomes a legitimate contender in the Western Conference.

For now, the Lakers own the 14th-best NBA Championship odds (+4100) on FanDuel Sportsbook. Having said that, those odds could potentially skyrocket if Pelinka decides to pull the trigger on a Butler deal with the Heat before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

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