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NBA Trade Rumors: Jimmy Butler To Warriors, Klay Thompson To Celtics, Avery Bradley And Jaylen Brown To Bulls In Blockbuster Three-Team Deal

Published on: October 29, 2016 at 5:18 PM
By Adrian Lawhorn

NBA trade rumors continue to be hot as the regular season gets underway and teams begin to see what their strengths and weaknesses truly are. A recent report by Real GM revealed that the Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls were engaged in serious discussions in the past regarding a trade for Jimmy Butler. According to Yibada , if things go awry with Kevin Durant and the Warriors’ “super team” concept, Klay Thompson could be headed elsewhere , and the Boston Celtics are the most likely destination for Thompson.

Current NBA trade rumors are making the rounds that these three teams may be talking to each other about a three-way swap involving Jimmy Butler and Klay Thompson. The rumored proposal would send swingman Jimmy Butler and power forward Bobby Portis to the Warriors, while shooting guard Klay Thompson would join the Celtics. For their participation in this trade, the Bulls would receive shooting guard Avery Bradley, small forward Jaylen Brown, and Brooklyn’s first-round draft pick in 2018 (via Boston).

The ESPN NBA Trade Machine confirms that this transaction is valid per NBA trade and salary cap rules, but this would be a blockbuster deal and a big decision for each of these franchises. Would all three teams benefit from this rumored five-player, one draft pick exchange?

The Golden State Warriors would ship out Klay Thompson and bring in Jimmy Butler and Bobby Portis in their segment of this trade proposal. Jimmy Butler would play shooting guard and take Thompson’s spot in the Golden State lineup. Butler is arguably a better all-around player than Thompson and would be a slight upgrade for the Warriors.

Bobby Portis could be a useful piece, particularly if some of the drama surrounding Draymond Green causes Golden State to consider unloading him at some point. This looks like a good deal for the Warriors, and it may be even more desirable if the team stumbles this season and fails to recover from their shocking 129-100 home loss to San Antonio on opening night.

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The Boston Celtics’ interest in adding a star player to their roster would be satisfied if Klay Thompson could be acquired. Thompson’s presence would make Avery Bradley expendable, and Jaylen Brown is a rookie who has great potential but may not be capable of playing big minutes for some time as he backs up Jae Crowder in Boston.

The Celtics would also throw in a future first-round pick, according to this NBA trade rumor, but even so, this trade scenario would be an advantageous one for Boston. The team is in win-now mode, and this prospective deal for Klay Thompson would improve the odds of the Celtics overtaking the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference.

This all looks promising thus far, so what about the Chicago Bulls? The team reloaded their backcourt this offseason by obtaining point guard Rajon Rondo and shooting guard Dwyane Wade, but rumor has it that the Bulls are still considering the 2016-17 season part of a rebuilding phase. Losing Jimmy Butler would be something that a team can’t completely compensate for, but Chicago would gain a young talent in Jaylen Brown that they could groom for future stardom. In the meantime, Doug McDermott and fellow rookie Denzel Valentine could help carry the load at small forward.

Bobby Portis is a solid player, but he is stuck behind Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic on the Bulls’ depth chart, so he is a spare part for Chicago at the present time. The Bulls would also receive a good shooting guard in Avery Bradley, who could be Dwyane Wade’s top backup and heir apparent. Add in a first-round draft choice, and this trade would begin to look interesting to the Bulls — if they are willing to look toward the future rather than go “all in” right now.

The latest NBA trade rumors are buzzing about a potential swap between the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Chicago Bulls. The rumored proposal appears to be a “plus” deal for the Warriors and Celtics and would also offer value to the Bulls if they are willing to take a step back now to invest in their future, as recent reports have indicated.

This is an unusual NBA trade rumor that would be a legal (NBA-approved) deal, involves multiple NBA All-Star players, and could also be of legitimate interest to all the teams involved. Time will tell if this hypothetical blockbuster trade actually becomes a reality, but this is one item from the rumor mill that warrants keeping an eye on.

[Featured Image by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images]

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