NBA Trade Rumors: Jimmy Butler To Celtics, Avery Bradley, Jaylen Brown, And Marcus Smart To Bulls

The Boston Celtics seem to be the subject of a large percentage of the NBA trade rumors that are currently propagating via the internet. MassLive reports that the Celtics continue to look for advantageous deals, as well as field calls about some of their players and draft picks — particularly the Brooklyn Nets’ first-round pick in 2017 that Boston can (and will) swap into before the NBA Draft this summer. General manager Danny Ainge is open to dealing the pick, but he will want a superstar performer in return.

Bleacher Report shares a video post in which NBA insider Ric Bucher divulges some significant news about the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls have apparently made it known around the league that they are shopping superstar small forward Jimmy Butler. Butler won’t come cheap, but Chicago realizes that they aren’t going very far with the team they have now, so they’re interested in seeing if they can manufacture a blockbuster deal for Jimmy Butler. If they are successful, the Bulls should come out of such a transaction with some quality assets to rebuild their team with.

According to Fox Sports, one possible NBA trade scenario would involve the Boston Celtics and Jimmy Butler. This rumored proposal would have Jimmy Butler heading to Boston to play for the Celtics, while the Chicago Bulls would come away with a package of shooting guard Avery Bradley, small forward Jaylen Brown, point guard Marcus Smart and the Nets’ first-round pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. The ESPN NBA Trade Machine confirms that this would be a legal transaction if both teams agreed to go forward with this rumored proposal.

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The Boston Celtics would be giving up a lot in this hypothetical trade, but for a team trying to challenge for an NBA Championship right away, this deal would be very appealing. Jimmy Butler would play shooting guard for the Celtics, allowing Jae Crowder to remain in his current spot at small forward. Boston would be an improved team in the short-term, but a few years down the road, assets such as Jaylen Brown and Brooklyn’s first-round pick in 2017 could turn into top-flight NBA players.

If the Chicago Bulls agreed to this swap, they would be looking toward the future and realizing that this deal would weaken them in 2016-17. A combination of Jaylen Brown and Doug McDermott would take the place of Jimmy Butler at small forward, which is a clear downgrade. Avery Bradley is a very good player, but initially, he’d be fighting for playing time with Dwyane Wade at shooting guard. Marcus Smart would be an immediate plus at the point guard position, and the draft choice the Bulls would receive should give them a young player with All-Star potential.

These two teams are going in opposite directions, but that doesn’t mean they can’t make a trade that helps both of them accomplish their goals. The Celtics want to add an impact player so they can challenge the Cleveland Cavaliers for the top spot in the Eastern Conference. The Bulls want to retool their roster and build a team that has a chance to be highly competitive in a few short years.

This example from the latest collection of NBA trade rumors appears to be a deal that Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics would pursue. The overall fit isn’t quite as good for Chicago, but the Bulls would acquire some valuable assets if they agreed to send Jimmy Butler to Boston for this rumored trade package. For Chicago, the decision would come down to whether this is the best offer they feel they can get for Butler, or if bigger treasures may await them if they stand pat for now. Either way, this five-asset trade scenario is quite plausible and could be a win-win for the Celtics and the Bulls.

[Featured Image by Matt Marton/AP Images]