NBA trade rumors: Celtics unlikely to trade for Bulls star Jimmy Butler
By Trey Daubert
After trading down in the 2017 NBA Draft, the Boston Celtics appear unlikely to trade for Jimmy Butler at this point in time.
It’s safe to say no one can get a read on what Celtics general manager Danny Ainge is trying to do. After trading down from the No. 1 pick, many pundits believed trader Danny would pull the trigger on a potential Jimmy Butler deal, that doesn’t appear to be the plan, however. While every Celtics fan is waiting patiently for the team to cash in on those assets, Butler isn’t on the team’s radar at this time.
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune recently polled three general managers on the prospects of a potential Jimmy Butler deal to Boston. Those anonymous gm’s claimed a Butler deal appears to be much more ‘speculation’ than reality at this point.
"“As of Sunday, the talk is based more on speculation than reality, a stance that at least three league executives the Tribune spoke to over the weekend don’t expect to change by Thursday. There is plenty of belief within the league and the Bulls organization that the Celtics are poised to use the No. 3 pick Thursday and then pursue Jazz All-Star Gordon Hayward in free agency come July.”"
This latest report confirms that Gordon Hayward appears to be the No. 1 target for the Celtics. Trading for Butler now would essentially eliminate Boston from the Hayward sweepstakes for cap reasons. If any trade between the Bulls and Celtics were to occur, it seems like they mostly depend on the status of the former Butler hoops star. Boston and Miami appear to be legit contenders to swipe Hayward from Utah.
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Johnson also adds in his report that the Bulls are in no hurry to deal their star player. Butler can’t opt for free agency until the summer of 2019 so they can conceivably take their time on a trade. For Boston, it appears that they will likely use their third overall selection where they appear to be deciding between Jayson Tatum of Duke or Josh Jackson of Kansas.