2. He’s a (really) good defensive player
Over the first half of the season, the Los Angeles Lakers were one of the NBA’s better defensive teams. But once the injuries started compounding, they did an about face and became a terrible defensive team, which is the main reason they failed to mount a serious playoff push once Lebron returned from his groin injury.
Looking forward, the Lakers will need a high-level perimeter defender to contain the elite guards and wings who rule the modern NBA, especially come playoff time. Brandon Ingram has the potential to become just that, but why solely depend on him reaching his potential when there’s a ready-made option?
Jimmy Butler has been named to the NBA All-Defensive team in four of the last five seasons. Plus, he stands at a stout 6-foot-8 and weighs a robust 232 pounds according to Basketball-Reference.com, which gives him the length and girth to bother the other team’s main perimeter threat.
Signing Butler would give the Lakers three guys between him, Ingram and Lonzo Ball who can play very good defense in their starting lineup. That’s a luxury not many NBA teams in any era could boast.