NBA Rumors: Jimmy Butler ‘open’ to playing with LeBron James, Lakers
NBA Rumors: As a surprise to no one, Jimmy Butler would reportedly welcome the opportunity to play with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers that we will see in year one of LeBron James’ tenure will looking nothing like the version of the team that we’ll likely see in year two or three. And you can bet that there will certainly be bigger names as time goes on.
One big name that could be in the mix, according to a report from Bleacher Report, is Jimmy Butler. Butler declined to sign a contract extension with the Minnesota Timberwolves this summer, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise considering he can make more money if he waits to sign one next summer.
Nevertheless, there were also reports that he was unhappy with how the team’s young players approach the game. Whether that’s true or not remains to be seen. But you can’t completely ignore them at the same time.
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Per the report from BR, Butler is reportedly open to playing with LeBron James in Los Angeles – I know, shocking.
"[via BR]Per a source close to Butler, he’s open to the idea of moving on from the Timberwolves to play alongside James in Los Angeles."
Expect more and more of these reports to start trickling in. The Lakers are going to become more and more of an attractive landing spot. They already have LeBron James, the best player in the world, and their young core is only going to get better.
Los Angeles has, in recent years, struggled to close the deal on star players in free agency. Assuming that they’re willing to wait until the summer to chase a second star to stick next to LeBron, the Lakers might be the top landing spot for any big-name free agent next summer.
And Jimmy B would be the perfect player to stick next to LeBron. He’s hard-nosed, plays stingy defense and can score the basketball with the best of them. Even though he isn’t the best shooter, he can light up the scoreboard.
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I’m not sure how likely it is that we’ll see Jimmy Butler in the purple and gold at some point in the future, but the Los Angeles Lakers are going to have options. And, soon, that situation is going to turn from good to great.