Heat star Jimmy Butler sparks Lakers trade talk with recent comments

As Miami Heat fans wonder if Jimmy Butler will be with the team next season, his recent comments don’t exactly inspire confidence.

Butler was interviewed while sitting courtside in Los Angeles for a recent WNBA game between the LA Sparks and Dallas Wings and went out of his way to give people something to talk about.

“Being in LA as much as possible,” said Butler, who wears no. 22 for the Miami Heat, when asked how he’s spending his summer. "For some reason 22 looks good in purple and gold.”

To connect the dots: The Sparks wear the same purple and gold colors as the Lakers, a team looking to make a big addition this offseason. Jimmy knew what he was doing.

Sitting courtside at an LA Sparks game, Jimmy Butler hinted that he would look good in a Lakers jersey.

It’s easy to write this off as Butler trolling, and that’s probably what it is. But he’s also made it clear that he wants a maximum contract extension from the Miami Heat this summer and could be stirring things up to create a bit of leverage. 

The Heat aren’t in a rush to negotiate with Butler, as team president Pat Riley explained during his end-of-season press conference. Butler is still under contract for at least one more season, and the Heat would prefer to wait until next year to talk about a new deal. Butler, who will be 35 in September, played only 60 games last season and the Heat want him to be more available.

Teams around the league are monitoring Butler’s situation in case the Heat don’t offer the contract extension and he becomes available for trade. The Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly willing to offer Butler a maximum contract extension, and other teams like the Lakers make sense as a potential destination.

The Lakers lost in the first round of the playoffs and are hoping to make a leap back to title contention next season. Does Butler make sense next to Anthony Davis and LeBron James, who has a player option but most expect him to return to the Lakers next season? 

At the very least, according to Butler, the colors would look good on him.