The Los Angeles Lakers appear open to moving on from LeBron James and giving the keys to Luka Doncic.
In a recent hypothetical trade idea, the organization would not only make that a reality, but also receive a standout forward in the process.
“The Lakers really don’t love the idea of taking on Jimmy Butler’s contract, especially with LeBron’s contract due to expire at the end of the 2025-26 season,” Sports Illustrated’s Dan Angell wrote Tuesday.
“They want to be free of LeBron’s contract, but there’s no way to do that before the end of 2026 without taking equal value back.”
“So they’d demand something to sweeten the deal, which the first-round selection in 2028 provides. Los Angeles wants to start building around Luka Doncic, and stockpiling draft picks makes that more feasible.”
“Butler also keeps the Lakers competitive. He’s a defensive whiz and remains a strong shooter, even at age 36.”
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For clarity, Angell’s trade concept sends James and his son Bronny to the Golden State Warriors for Butler and a 2028 first-round pick.
The Warriors acquired Butler from the Miami Heat in early February, hoping the six-time All-Star could give the sluggish organization a boost on both ends.
Unsurprisingly, Butler did just that, helping the Dubs secure 48 regular-season victories and win their first Play-In contest to earn the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference.
While the Marquette product was unassertive at times during Golden State’s second-round matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves, he played well under the circumstances (Curry was sidelined due to a Grade 1 calf strain).
The aging two-way stud contributed 20.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 5.6 assists per game in the franchise’ Western Conference Semifinals loss.
James is unquestionably on a different stratosphere despite being five years older, but the Lakers would still be in championship contention with Butler as their third star.
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