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NBA Trade Rumors: Jimmy Butler To Warriors, Klay Thompson To Celtics, Jae Crowder And Marcus Smart To Bulls

By Adrian Lawhorn
Published on: 10:14 PST, Nov 28, 2016

NBA trade rumors involving Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson took center stage recently when Boston Celtics TV analyst Brian Scalabrine mentioned on a national radio program that the Warriors were considering a deal with the Celtics for Thompson (as detailed by CBS Sports).

The rumor was shot down by Golden State, but interestingly, articles continue to be written and speculation among fans continues to percolate about a possible Klay Thompson trade. Many NBA insiders believe that if the Warriors’ “super team” struggles for any length of time and management begins to contemplate making some player moves, Klay Thompson would likely be the first player to go.

According to Real GM, the Warriors and Chicago Bulls were discussing a deal for star small forward Jimmy Butler at the February trade deadline last season. That swap did not take place, but Golden State established their interest in Butler by reaching out to the Bulls with regard to his availability. Rumors continue to swirl that the Warriors may still have their eye on Jimmy Butler, particularly if the Kevin Durant experiment does not go as planned.

The latest NBA trade rumors are buzzing about a potential three-team deal between the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Chicago Bulls. In this rumored scenario, the Warriors would receive Jimmy Butler and the Celtics’ first-round draft choice in 2018. Klay Thompson would be sent to Boston, while the Bulls would acquire small forward Jae Crowder, point guard Marcus Smart, and the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick in 2018, which is currently owned by the Celtics.

The reality is that Golden State would not consider a major deal like this unless the team experiences chemistry issues, and those issues are present for long enough that the team feels they need to shake up the roster. The Warriors did get off to a slow start this season, as did Klay Thompson, but both have recently come around. Golden State has now won 11 consecutive games, raising their conference-leading record to 15-2. Thompson has now begun to shoot the ball well again after a cold stretch from behind the three-point line to start the 2016-17 campaign.

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Things change, and sometimes change drastically over the course of an NBA season, so one can “never say never” when it comes to potential player transactions. Additionally, since fans remain intrigued by a potential Klay Thompson deal, let’s take a look at this NBA trade rumor and see how it might play out if this hypothetical trade proposal was agreed upon.

The Warriors’ part of this deal would immediately cause some debate because the team would get Jimmy Butler and a first-round pick for Klay Thompson. Butler may not be the shooter that Thompson is, but it can be argued that he is a better all-around player. In terms of production, Jimmy Butler is the better rebounder, passer and defensive player between the two. This would appear to be an advantageous trade for Golden State, so perhaps the thought of dealing Klay Thompson is not so ridiculous after all?

The bottleneck in this theoretical deal would probably be the Chicago Bulls, who would seem to benefit the least from this transaction. Jimmy Butler has elevated himself to superstar status, and the rumored package of Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, and a first-round pick in exchange for Butler doesn’t make any sense — even if the rumors are true that the Bulls may be considering a rebuild in the near future. Furthermore, this trade would not be allowed by the NBA, as there would be a surplus of $6.7 million in salary going to Boston (per the ESPN NBA Trade Machine).

Current NBA trade rumors are circulating about a potential swap between the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Chicago Bulls. This deal would appear to make the Warriors even stronger, but the Bulls would give this offer a thumbs-down (simply not enough incoming value for Jimmy Butler). NBA fans continue to be fascinated by the possibility of a blockbuster trade involving Golden State, but if that eventually happens, it will have to take a different form than this rumored trade proposal.

[Featured Image by Charles Rex Arbogast/AP Images]

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