Jimmy Butler trade chatter should have Celtics fans dreaming of unlikely move

Over the last five years, the Boston Celtics have been one of the best teams in basketball. Their constant appearances in the Eastern Conference finals were finally capped off with an NBA Championship last year, cementing themselves as one of the most consistently dominant teams in basketball. And the Miami Heat have been right there with them.

Though they haven’t gotten over the hump with their cururent roster, the Heat’s success cannot be understated. Jimmy Butler took over the franchise in 2019 and immediately brought them to the Finals in The Bubble. Three years later, he was right back in the same position. He’s helped Miami be one of the faces of postseason success.

But he may not be in town forever.

Jimmy Butler speculation should have Celtics fans seeing (improbable) visions of Bam Adebayo in green

Butler is due for a contract extension, but Pat Riley isn’t interested in offering him the max extension he’s eligible for. That’s led to some serious trade speculation, which Marc Stein outlined in his latest newsletter.

“The whole saga has led a variety of executives with other teams, when asked by pesky me, to offer up Butler as a name that must be monitored in the inevitable quest for teams (and reporters) to pinpoint the league's next marquee player to be dealt in the wake of the Karl-Anthony Towns-to-New York swap,” Stein wrote.

He believes this season could have a huge impact on whether or not Butler is back in town moving forward.

“This is clearly a pivotal season for the Heat and Butler,” Stein wrote. “The East's overall depth is nowhere near the West's, but the battle for a top-six seed to avoid the Play-In round will be fierce. Instinct tells me that we will be coming back to the Heat — and Butler — often across the next nine or 10 months.”

All of the Butler rumblings should have Celtics fans excited. One, because it could mean Butler may not be a thorn in their side anymore, and two, because they can dream of a ridiculous scenario where Bam Adebayo puts on the green and white.

Adebayo’s friendship with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown has been well-documented. He’s won two gold medals with Tatum and even cracked a joke at Brown’s expense. All three seem to be fairly close.

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Obviously, Adebayo is a franchise centerpiece for Miami. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon, and even if Butler leaves, the Heat will probably pivot and build around him instead.

But in a (Celtics) dream world, Butler’s departure could force Miami to consider a full-on rebuild. And in that universe, trading Adebayo for a massive haul of picks could be an option.

Boston would have to gut their draft capital and trade one of Derrick White or Jrue Holiday, but at that point, creating a trio of Tatum, Brown, and Adebayo could be worth it.

Again, it’s not going to happen, but the Butler rumors can at least give Celtics fans a small window for dreaming, even if the window is only cracked open by a millimeter.