The Celtics Should Trade for Jimmy Butler, Not D’Angelo Russell

This off-season is going to be hectic for the Boston Celtics, should they also pull of a blockbuster trade?

The trade rumors are picking up as the season comes to an end. With every trade rumor, the Boston Celtics are always mentioned as a possible destination. Jahlil Okafor, Jimmy Butler, and D’Angelo Russell are three big name players that Boston has already been linked too.

Questions surrounding what every team will do this off-season to get better is becoming more and more relevant as most teams know where they stand among the rest of the NBA. The Philadelphia 76ers don’t feel Okafor is a good fit with Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, the Chicago Bulls don’t really have a solution to fix their team, so maybe clearing cap space is the way to go, and the whole Lakers locker room is now mad at the rookie D’Angelo Russell after he released a private conversation video between him and Nick Young.

Having Boston involved in every trade rumor seems to be uniform at this point, and for good reason. Boston is on the edge of being a true title contender. They also have the picks, players, and cap space to make them the perfect trading partner with any team. Trading for a star like Jimmy Butler or a rookie with as much potential as D’Angelo Russell will be tough, however, if there is any team that has the ammunition to get it done, it’s the Celtics.

There is not a shooting guard in the NBA that affects the game as much as Jimmy Butler of the Chicago Bulls does. He is always among the league leaders in minutes per game, has proven to be a consistent 20-point scorer (21 PPG this season), passes well (4.4 APG), rebounds above-average for a shooting guard (5.2 RPG), and there aren’t many better two-way players in the league.

Butler always guards the opposing team’s best player and besides Kawhi Leonard and LeBron James, there may not be a better two-way player. Averaging 1.7 steals and 0.6 blocks per game has the two-time all-star known as one of the best defenders in the NBA.

The Chicago Bulls are hopeful in resigning big man Pau Gasol this off-season, but with Butler and Derrick Rose both owning a max deal next season, the Bulls have very little wiggle room – even with the salary cap increase. Chicago is also a mess right now as they’re on the verge of missing the playoffs after one of their worst seasons in recent memory.

The Bulls would love to trade Derrick Rose and his $21 million contract next season, but the chances of that are slim to none. It’s no secret that Rose is not even close to the same player he once was and while he hasn’t had any major injuries this season, he continues to deal with lingering injuries constantly. Trading Butler seems like the more logical answer for Chicago who is looking to add young pieces and build for the future.

Trading away Marcus Smart or Avery Bradley, along with the Brooklyn Nets‘ pick and more, would be what the Bulls would ask for. Adding Butler would limit the Celtics free agency plans a little, however, they would still have a chance to land another star in free agency offering a max contract. Unless Boston is able to land Ben Simmons or Brandon Ingram in the draft, there likely isn’t a rookie who will develop into as good of a player as Butler.

Butler is a better scorer and defender than Smart or Bradley so losing one of them would only be for an upgrade. Besides, having Jimmy Butler and Jae Crowder in your starting lineup would be one of the best defensive wing duos in the league and reunite the former Marquette Golden Eagle teammates.

The Bulls would jump all over an offer like this. Sending away their best player would be hard but this would give the Bulls a chance at a top-five talent – which would be their first top-15 pick since Derrick Rose in 2008. Losing salary off their payroll would also be a huge for Chicago as Derrick Rose’s contract ends after next season and they could reload for the 2017 free agent class. Not to mention getting back a young, cheap player like Bradley or Smart to try to develop for the future.

Trading for Butler could come at a hefty price, D’Angelo Russell may be someone Danny Ainge would rather target.

Russell has had a tough rookie season and it hasn’t gotten any easier this week. After recording a private conversation between him and Nick Young, Russell released the video the other day and now has become blocked out from the rest of the team. Whether the Los Angeles Lakers actually plan on trading Russell this off-season is unknown, however, it’s more a debate now than ever before.

Russell has obviously learned from this huge mistake as he has already apologized multiple times and it’s obvious he’s embarrassed by this whole situation. I don’t believe he would be a bad influence on the Celtics locker room, but why would the Celtics trade for someone who may not become better than a player they already have, Marcus Smart.

Russell’s 13.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game this season on 41.4 percent shooting sums up the disappointing rookie campaign Russell has endured. He has shown flashes during some games but for the most part he hasn’t had much of an impact on the court. The Lakers -11.5 plus/minus when Russell is on the court compared to their -3.7 when he’s on the bench further proves he hasn’t been able to find his footing in the NBA.

Coming out of Ohio State last season, Russell was quietly in the running for being the first pick overall. He ended up being taken second overall, surprisingly ahead of Jahlil Okafor. He has the potential to be one of the league’s best passers and should develop into a solid shooter. Not to mention he has great size at 6’5″ for a point guard which helps him rebound better than the average point guard. What the Lakers would want for a rookie whose stock keeps dropping is unknown. He’s making just over $5 million this upcoming season, which is a lot less than Butler.

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However, Russell is a point guard that can’t play shooting guard. Russell has played point guard 90 percent of his playing time during his rookie season. He is also more of a passer than spot up shooter, which wouldn’t work with Isaiah Thomas. Russell and Thomas both need the ball in their hands to be effective and there’s no way Thomas isn’t a part of the Celtics’ future plans. The Celtics also already have a young guard who hasn’t quite found his shot in the NBA in Marcus Smart. Smart is clearly the superior defender as well, and that should continue throughout their careers.

Boston would also have to give up a significant package. Russell may have struggled this past season, however, he still has a lot of potential. Giving up the Brooklyn pick is out of the question and I doubt Danny Ainge would be willing to give up Avery Bradley or Marcus Smart, two players the Lakers would likely be asking for. Packaging a pick and Smart together seems like a risk not worth taking for a team so close to being a title contender.

Whether someone like Jae Crowder would have to be involved in a Jimmy Butler trade has yet to be seen. It seems that Marcus Smart and a couple of picks would probably get the deal done, as Smart and compensation would most likely land the Celtics Russell.

Trading for Butler and also being able to sign another player to the max deal would quickly move the Celtics up the power rankings. Butler has continued to improve this season after his breakout season last year and having a better version of Jae Crowder in the starting lineup would be a nightmare for opposing teams.

Next: Should the Celtics Trade for Jahlil Okafor?

When it comes down to it, D’Angelo Russell holds a lot of potential but the Celtics need players who can contribute now. He also doesn’t fit Boston’s system as well as Butler. There is no doubt that Butler’s stock is a lot higher and Danny Ainge might be unwilling to trade away part of the Celtics’ current core. Although, there are few players who affect both sides of the ball as much as Butler does and trading away some solid, young pieces to land him would be a great move.