Former All-Star Mocks Idea of Los Angeles Lakers Trading for Jimmy Butler

Jake Elman | 4 Hours Ago

Dec 4, 2024; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) goes up for a layup against the Los Angeles Lakers in the first half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

The chances of Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler teaming up with Anthony Davis and LeBron James are, shall we say, not too high.

Never tell former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas the odds. Except in this scenario.

On the Dec. 18 episode of Gil’s Arena, Arenas mocked the idea the Lakers would have enough assets to acquire Butler. Arenas questioned why the Heat (or any team) would want Gabe Vincent, D’Angelo Russell, or others who could be involved in a potential Butler trade.

“Jaxson Hayes, don’t even know who he is,” Arenas laughed. “Armel [Traore], got him. Maxwell Lewis, huh?”

The Lakers also lack the draft picks to land Butler, who remains the subject of trade rumors. ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania reported earlier this month the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Houston Warriors, and Phoenix Suns could be suitors for Butler.

Charania didn’t list the Lakers as a potential option, and Arenas’ analysis makes it easy to understand why. 

“We got LeBron James Sr. … but he’s 40,” Arenas said of the Lakers’ trade pieces. “We got Anthony ‘Bambi Legs’ Davis. We got Austin Reaves, [rookie guard Dalton] Knecht, and our most prized joy is Bronny James.

“I didn’t name one trade piece,” Arenas added. 

For the sake of conversation, let’s say the Lakers traded Russell, Reaves, Vincent, Cam Reddish, and Christian Wood to the Heat for Butler. ESPN’s Trade Machine estimates the Heat’s projected win total would decrease by 10. 

“What happened to those GMs [that say], ‘Hey, we have a Kwame Brown; give us Pau Gasol,” Arenas said, referencing the Lakers’ 2008 trade with the Memphis Grizzlies, ‘and they’re like ‘Yeah!’ Like we need that. … We need that type of stupidity.” 

Sorry, Lakers fans, but we don’t expect the Heat to display that level of stupidity. And, if they do, that might just convince Heat fans to wave the white flag and focus on the Panthers’ latest title chase.

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.