Report: Celtics, Bulls have discussed trade involving Jimmy Butler

All-Star wing Jimmy Butler moving ahead of Thursday's NBA trade deadline could dramatically change the complexion of the Eastern Conference for the second half of the regular season, depending on the destination.

The Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics have reportedly engaged in trade talks over the 27-year-old, according to The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Those talks, though, have "not gotten far down the road."

Trading Butler would signal a full-blown rebuild in the Windy City, which is what could be holding the Bulls back from pulling the trigger on a possible deal. Chicago owns a 28-29 record at the All-Star break, good enough for the seventh seed in the East, although they're just two games from falling out of the playoff picture altogether.

If ownership and management reached a consensus that the roster needed to be blown up, Boston has the assets to help the Bulls get off to a fast start, including the Brooklyn Nets' draft picks over the next two years as the result of a prior swap.

Through 51 games, Butler is averaging 24.5 points on 45.2 percent shooting from the field, 6.3 rebounds, and five assists with a player efficiency rating of 25.5 and usage rate of 27.2 - all of which are career highs.

He's currently working under a team-friendly salary that will pay him between $18-20 million through 2018-19, with a $19.8-million player option for the following year.