Tim Bontemps predicts Jimmy Butler will be traded to Boston

[Drucci]

I know the main talk is the playoffs but, for what it's worth, Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post discussed some potential moves by the Celtics this summer on Chris Mannix's podcast. He predicts Jimmy Butler will be traded to Boston. Here is the transcript :

Starting at 14:00 : Mannix : "Boston has been in the mix for Bradley Beal, for Jimmy Butler and Jahlil Okafor. If they can go to Chicago and put an offer for Jimmy Butler before signing Durant..."

Bontemps : "I think Jimmy Butler is gonna be a Celtic. You saw that press conference at the end of the season with Gar Forman and John Paxson, they took some pretty unveiled shots at Butler."

Mannix : "I got killed for writing Butler was on the trading block!"

Bontemps : "To me, with the way their season went, they have to choose between Fred Hoiberg and Jimmy Butler and they are not choosing against Hoiberg after they got rid of Thibodeau to bring him and make him their guy. If you are them, after the season they had, you trade Jimmy Butler to the Celtics for the boatload of picks Danny Ainge has been trying to trade like for Justise Winslow.

You trade all those picks and you say we're rebuilding with all these youngs guys and Fred Hoiberg so we can grow together. From the Celtics standpoint, if they get a guy like Jimmy Butler to go with that team, then maybe, yeah, something changes a little bit and he [Durant] goes there. But I've still got to see a free agent sign there."

Mannix : "Yeah I think you've got the guy in trade, almost like KG and Ray Allen in 2007. I think the key for everybody is to convince Durant you are in "win now mode", not 2 years from now".

They also discussed Dwight Howard at the very end of the podcast :

Chris Mannix : "Dwight is gone. I wouldn't give him a max deal. But if he is taking less, on the right team, I would take him."

Tim Bontemps : "Where is he going? Boston ? I don't think that he does but I can see that, that would make sense. That's a team that should go for him."

Chris Mannix : "They would have taken him last year. I don't think Danny Ainge dislikes Dwight."

Bontemps : "I think the Celtics should go after Dwight. I think he is going to end with the Bucks or the Hornets [because they have money and he has a good relationship with Steve Clifford]. [...] "

Bontemps then suggests having a "maintenance plan" for him like the Heat did with Wade playing only 55-60 games.

Both Mannix and Bontemps think Dwight has been underutilized and would play with a lot more motivation/fire if he is involved in the offense.

Mannix : "You've got to be careful with Dwight and young players because of the example he sets. That's why I think of Boston too because they are kind of at that point where their young guys are formed. Isaiah is formed, Avery Bradley is formed."

Bontemps counters by asking if Isaiah could have the same problems than Harden has with Dwight on the court. But Mannix thinks it's Isaiah's team and Dwight would be OK with that.

[Donoghus]

Choosing Hoiberg over Butler.  Good luck with that, Chicago.

[PhoSita]

I'm not sure either  Butler or Dwight is likely,  but adding both this off-season would be pretty awesome. I worry that Dwight is a poor fit for Boston media,  but he'd address a lot of the teams weaknesses.

[BitterJim]

Choosing Hoiberg over Butler.  Good luck with that, Chicago.

Yeah, that's a really questionable decision.  The only recent example I can think of where a team picked the coach over a player is maybe Stevens over Rondo, but Hoidberg is no Stevens, and Rondo is no Butler

[BitterJim]

I'm not sure either  Butler or Dwight is likely,  but adding both this off-season would be pretty awesome. I worry that Dwight is a poor fit for Boston media,  but he'd address a lot of the teams weaknesses.

As long as it's not the max and not long term, he'd be a great addition.  We need toughness/rebounding up front

[Tr1boy]

Only a prediction. Unless Bulls get "paid", won't trade him

3rd or 4th pick, Celts pick, all 2nd round picks except 31st or 35th for Butler

We keep mavs and either 31 or 35 pick

So final trade

To Bulls: Rozier, amir all picks above for butler

[apc]

I mentioned it in other posts, I think DH is a real possibility for us. With Stevens as his coach he can go back to perform at a very high level. he is an upgrade over Amir. 

Don't get me wrong, i don't love DH, too much mister nice guy, but i think the team culture will rub on him.

Not bad consolation prize.

[Evantime34]

Bontemps also mentioned that the Clippers could trade Blake Griffin to Boston.

I like Butler a lot and would love him in Boston. At the same time I'm wary of giving up too much for him. I'd really like to keep Crowder because they had a good relationship in college. I also worry that he isn't a great shooter and thus doesn't do much to space the floor. I don't want to give up all our assets without the ability to continue to get better. I don't think adding Butler makes us a title contender so I'd like to keep a quality pick or two, in order to have an avenue to improve.

I'd probably rather upgrade the front court than the 2, but I know that when a star comes open we need to pounce, regardless of position.

[A Future of Stevens]

Only a prediction. Unless Bulls get "paid", won't trade him

3rd or 4th pick, Celts pick, all 2nd round picks except 31st or 35th for Butler

We keep mavs and either 31 or 35 pick

So final trade

To Bulls: Rozier, amir all picks above for butler

I could really get behind that trade man.

Getting butler, AND keeping the mavs pick along with a second round flyer? Sign me up. Would you still do it if crowder has to be included? What about smart?

[apc]

Only a prediction. Unless Bulls get "paid", won't trade him

3rd or 4th pick, Celts pick, all 2nd round picks except 31st or 35th for Butler

We keep mavs and either 31 or 35 pick

So final trade

To Bulls: Rozier, amir all picks above for butler

Bulls will want Crowder or Smart IMO.

[LarBrd33]

Don't overpay for butler unless it guarantees you Durant.  Butler is overrated.

[alldaboston]

Only a prediction. Unless Bulls get "paid", won't trade him

3rd or 4th pick, Celts pick, all 2nd round picks except 31st or 35th for Butler

We keep mavs and either 31 or 35 pick

So final trade

To Bulls: Rozier, amir all picks above for butler

Bulls will want Crowder or Smart IMO.

I think it's gonna be a lowball offer in the end, that Chicago will be forced to accept. The chemistry issues are too much, I feel, and so they have to take whatever offer they get. Maybe Danny negotiates a bit and ends up giving another guy like kelly or whatever. But I don't think (and I hope that) crowder and smart will be gone in a deal for butler

[Evantime34]

Only a prediction. Unless Bulls get "paid", won't trade him

3rd or 4th pick, Celts pick, all 2nd round picks except 31st or 35th for Butler

We keep mavs and either 31 or 35 pick

So final trade

To Bulls: Rozier, amir all picks above for butler

Bulls will want Crowder or Smart IMO.

I think it's Crowder, Smart or another Brooklyn pick.

Avery could be involved too. We could trade him to a third team for young assets we could move to Chicago as part of the Butler package.

[walker834]

Scal made the comment during the regular season how Rose and Butler just take turns scoring and that's not a good style of play.  If Butler were to come here I'd hope Stevens could get him to play differently.  I don't want to be a team like that where Isaiah and Butler just take turns.

Butler is a talented guy but I'd like to keep our style of play somehow.

[The One]

Don't overpay for butler unless it guarantees you Durant.  Butler is overrated.

Really?  I like Butler a lot.  And he plays offense and defense.

He's not the final piece but he could be part of a "big three".