3 dream trade candidates the Lakers probably can’t afford

Jimmy Butler

Last season, the Miami Heat, led by Jimmy Butler, went on a huge run in the Orlando bubble, where they clinched a spot in the NBA Finals as the Eastern Conference champions. Even though they wound up losing to the Lakers in six games, the Heat banked on the success of that core of players heading into the 2020-21 season. As it turns out, their success was not sustainable.

The Heat were easily swept out of the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks due to their overall dismal play. With that, many were wondering about the status of Butler, who reportedly had “very testy moments” with the roster and the coaching staff. So, does that mean a trade out of Miami and to Los Angeles could be in the cards? Don’t count on it.

Butler has two more years remaining on his four-year, $140.8 million contract, where he is set to make $36 million in base salary for next season. For the 2022-23 season, Butler has a player option worth $37.7 million. But things will likely get more expensive for any team, let alone the Lakers, who want to acquire Butler if he does become available. Butler is expected to seek a max contract extension this offseason, which could top out to $181 million over four seasons.

So yeah, you can officially rule out Butler, Lakers fans.