Don't do it, Jimmy.
Related: Report: 5 NBA teams ready to go after Tobias Harris
This NBA summer, as always, is shaping up to be a dramatic one. But with guys like Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, Kawhi Leonard, and Jimmy Butler—just to name a few—potentially changing teams, this summer could be the wildest one in years.
According to ESPN's Brian Windhorst, LeBron James has already begun the recruiting process, specifically speaking with Leonard and Butler.
"From what I understand, [LeBron> has already begun the recruiting process. I've heard he has had contact with Kawhi Leonard. I've heard he's had contact with Jimmy Butler."—@WindhorstESPN reporting on @PTI pic.twitter.com/2ppJjjL60h
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 24, 2019And according Arash Markazi of the LA Times, Butler would join the Lakers "in a second" if they offered him a max contract.
Butler, who turns 30 in September, is certainly seeking a max contract this summer. Only the Sixers can offer Butler a five-year max deal worth close to $190 million, while the other NBA teams can only offer him a four-year max worth around $140 million.
The Lakers are kind of a mess right now. Former president Magic Johnson recently stepped down and even more recently revealed way too much in an interview on ESPN's First Take. The Lakers have also just hired a new head coach in Frank Vogel and Jason Kidd as an assistant.
Philadelphia will attempt to retain both of their big imprending free-agents in Butler and Tobias Harris this summer, ideally keeping their core four of Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Butler, and Harris together for multiple seasons. JJ Redick is another Sixers starter who is set to become an unresctricted free-agent this summer. NBA free-agency begins on June 30th.
