Jimmy Butler open to teaming up with LeBron James

Jimmy Butler can opt to hit free agency next summer and he may have his eye on teaming up with LeBron James.

With his eye on a max contact next summer, it made sense for Jimmy Butler to turn down a four-year, $110 million extension from the Timberwolves in July.

But amid rumors of discontent in Minnesota, more specifically his being fed up with Karl-Anthony Town and Andrew Wiggins, Butler has one foot out the door.

Butler can, and surely will, decline his $19.84 million player option for 2019-20. Talk of teaming up with Kyrie Irving, who also has a 2019-20 player option he’s likely to decline, is out there and there are teams who could make room for two max contracts next summer.

But Butler will have some options, and a big one may be on his radar.

According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, Butler is “open to the idea” of signing with the Los Angeles Lakers and teaming up with LeBron James.

Kawhi Leonard has a reported desire to play in Los Angeles, once he can hit free agency himself next summer. The Lakers will have their eye on him, but the way they were openly jilted by Paul George shows signing Leonard can’t be considered inevitable.

There’s also an idea out there that Leonard doesn’t want to team up with James. So Magic Johnson, with input from James of course, may be left to seek another second star. Kevin Durant is a possibility, however unlikely.

Butler would seem to fit very nicely as the second fiddle to James, since he would defend the opposition’s primary scorer and take that specific pressure away.

He’s also been a 20-plus point scorer four years running, and would bring an obvious veteran presence to what probably will still be a core group of young players.

If things really go off the rails for the Timberwolves, Butler could be on the move as February’s trade deadline get closer. The Lakers could be in the mix to get him at that point, but Butler has a solid chance to be L.A.-bound when free agency starts in July 2019.