Report: Bulls, Celtics may rekindle trade talks for Jimmy Butler

Here we go again.

Rival executives believe that the Chicago Bulls and Boston Celtics may renew discussions involving Jimmy Butler ahead of the trade deadline, league sources told K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.

As Johnson notes, the Celtics hold many of the same assets that were discussed when the two teams held talks near last season's draft.

Specifically, Jae Crowder, Marcus Smart, and Boston's bevy of future picks owed from the Brooklyn Nets remain possible pieces that could complete a trade package for Butler.

If Chicago wants to kick start a rebuild, cashing out Butler for Boston's future assets would make sense, although the Bulls might first want to move some of the supporting cast before uprooting their star.

Butler has three seasons remaining on a team friendly max contract signed under the old salary cap. The 27-year-old perennial All-Star will make roughly $19 million per season for the next three years. Adding Butler to an already stacked Celtics club could turn them into serious contenders in the Eastern Conference.

Should Butler be traded, however, he would no longer be in line to sign the designated player exception worth nearly $230 million in 2018. That could entice Butler to remain in Chicago, although the Bulls have waded through wave after wave of melodrama in recent years.

Despite the team turmoil, Butler is enjoying his best season to date. He is averaging 24.7 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.7 assists along with 1.8 steals per game. He was the 2014-15 Most Improved Player, he is a three-time All-Star, and has been named to the All-Defensive team in three-straight seasons.