The Los Angeles Lakers season hasn’t started the way they would have imagined, as the team sits No. 8 in the West with a 13-11 record after some of the worst losses of the season occurring over the last week. The team might be a solid middle-of-the-pack team in the West, but there’s no chance they can realistically contend for a championship with their current core of players. A shake-up is desperately needed, and it could be achieved with a major move.

The Miami Heat are yet to decide what will become of Jimmy Butler, who could be a free agent at the end of the season if he declines his $52.4 million player option, which he is expected to do. Instead of losing Butler for nothing in free agency after extension talks failed, the Heat could pivot to trading him to land future assets.

Not much can be expected for a 35-year-old seeking a max extension after a few injury-prone years, but Butler might be the star piece the Lakers need to revitalize their bid for a championship.

Trade Details

Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Jimmy Butler, Alec Burks

Miami Heat Receive: D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Dalton Knecht, 2031 First-Round Pick (LAL)

This deal is a major risk on both ends and we’ll analyze why either team should do it and the potential pitfalls it could cause them.

The Lakers Give It One Final Shot

It’s clear that LeBron James’ time as a top-tier player in the NBA is coming to an end after rough stretches of performances before he missed his first game of the season last night. It might be now or never if the Lakers hope to earnestly compete for a title, and they could do so by just throwing caution to the wind and acquiring Jimmy Butler at the expense of their misfiring depth and a valuable future first-round pick.

Butler is averaging 19.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists amidst a slow start this season, but his winning impact has been clear over the Heat’s recent three-game win streak. There are questions around him carrying the load of a No. 1 option, so joining the Lakers as part of a big three might be the best way to maximize his current skill-set in view of a potential decline in the upcoming seasons.

James can embrace playing as the team’s full-time point guard with options such as Butler and Austin Reaves to handle ball-handling responsibilities, with Alec Burks taking a backup guard role. The team has additional pieces to fine-tune their needs this season and make a final push for a title either this year or the next. It reduces the load on James and Davis, making the Lakers a dynamic threat with three unguardable options.

The pitfall comes with the Lakers losing positive shooters such as Dalton Knecht, who has potential upside as well, as well as losing Rui Hachimura’s versatile frontcourt play. Depth might be a better route for team-building over a big three, especially with the age of the Lakers’ big three. But there’s no avenue to revamp the team’s depth this season to make them credible contenders, so a swing for a star could fare better.

The Heat Start To Pivot

The Heat know that Jimmy Butler doesn’t have much left in the tank as a championship No. 1 option. He’s already ceding touches to Tyler Herro this season to conserve his load, with Herro emerging as a capable No. 1 option. Moving on from Butler is inevitable and it’ll be hard to justify a massive trade price for him given his age, injury history, and contract status, so the Heat will be glad to get a competent offer like this from the Lakers.

Dalton Knecht could become the team’s long-term two-guard next to Herro, averaging 11.0 points this season. Rui Hachimura would be a great frontcourt option alongside Bam Adebayo, although his 12.6 points and 5.4 rebounds production won’t replace Butler.

D’Angelo Russell could be a valuable bench option before his $18.0 million contract expires in the summer, averaging 12.9 points and 5.1 assists this season. Gabe Vincent last excelled when he was wearing a Heat jersey, so maybe the team’s infamous culture can help him return to being a productive NBA player.

The Heat are far away from title contention themselves, but this deal allows them to avoid cap trouble with a Butler extension, as they acquire multiple smaller contracts with the largest one expiring next summer.

This trade could backfire unless the Heat make additional moves as they’ll overload their roster with guards and shooters, as some players need to go to reinforce their backup center spot as well as additional frontcourt depth around Adebayo. It could be step one in building a championship core once again, but it might result in a short-term step-back.

A High-Risk And Complicated Deal On Both Ends

Both franchises will struggle to agree to this deal, as it going wrong could be disastrous for both teams. The Lakers will lose another long-term asset for a player who’s past his prime and can’t move the needle and make them a contender. Losing Knecht as well will be a hard pill to swallow, even though the Vincent and Russell cap dumps will require that along with a pick.

It could also allow the Lakers to fully rebuild with cap space as soon as next season if LeBron retires and Butler walks in free agency. It would still be a failed trade, but the Lakers will have some room to maneuver out of it regardless.

The Heat wouldn’t want to treat a franchise icon by trading him away, but they might have no choice if they want to future-proof the franchise from Butler walking to a team like the Brooklyn Nets next offseason. It’s not the perfect deal, but it’s a lot better than nothing.