Trade rumors indicate Lakers targeting $48.7 million star to fix ‘energy and effort’

After starting the 2024-2025 NBA season 3-0, the Los Angeles Lakers looked like the best team in the NBA. LeBron James played at a high level, Anthony Davis looked like an MVP frontrunner and the role players added talent when needed. Since then, the Lakers have lost four of their last five games and are starting to spiral.

After losing 131-114 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, Los Angeles leaders recognized and acknowledged that the team, as it stands, isn’t playing with enough heart. JJ Redick left a press conference, clearly frustrated, and had nothing positive to say about his team as a whole.

“None of us are,” he said when asked if he was happy with the team’s effort in the defeat.

James, who led all scorers with an efficient 39 points, wasn’t happy either.

“You have to be there and give everything you have and on both sides,” he said, as transcribed by Jovan Buha of The Athletic. “I think there were times when we did that, but I don’t think we sustained the energy and effort most of the time.”

If the Lakers want to improve their “energy and effort,” adding one of the top competitors in the NBA could be a start. The Lakers have been linked to several players on the trade market, mainly centers, but they could add a third superstar to complement Davis and James.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler is in the final year of his contract and has been included in his fair share of rumors. If the Lakers are desperate for an injection of competitiveness, they could send D’Angelo Russell, Rui Hachimura, Gabe Vincent, Jaxson Hayes, a pick swap and two first-round picks to South Beach for Butler.

That would allow shooters like Austin Reaves and Dalton Knecht to help run the Lakers’ offense, and Butler would provide Davis with some help on defense while acting as a secondary scorer and facilitator.

Meanwhile, the Heat receive up to three draft picks for Butler and bring in a number of role players who can help support Terry Rozier, Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo. None of the new players would be on the books past 2026, which would provide some cap flexibility for a free-agent class that includes De’Aaron Fox, Kevin Durant, CJ McCollum and Fred VanVleet, among other players who would be Adebayo can help take control of the team.

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