Lakers Rumors: Latest on Jimmy Butler Pursuit and Offseason Plans

So begins one of the most important stretches in recent Los Angeles Lakers history.

Rumors surrounding the team continue to hit a fever pitch ahead of the NBA's draft lottery, where the Lakers hope to once again land a top-five selection to place next to Kobe Bryant and big-name free agents.

Right now, the biggest rumblings center on those free agents, as the league has started to give a better idea of which players will reach the open market.

Here's a look at the latest.

 

Lakers Hunting for Jimmy Butler?



It's no secret one of the players the Lakers seem to covet as free agency approaches is Chicago Bulls star Jimmy Butler. 

Something can't be a secret when so many teams share obvious interest, right? 

According to ESPN.com's Marc Stein, though, the Lakers continue to come up more than most with regard to Butler:

The New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers, sources say, are only the two teams you hear about most when it comes to making runs at Butler. There will most definitely be others, no matter how often the Bulls say in the coming days -- and you'll hear it a ton -- that they intend to match any offer he gets.

Interesting, right? Like the New York Knicks, the Lakers are a legendary franchise forsaking their past instant-gratification ways in an effort to take on a long-term rebuild in hopes that it works.

Butler is a good way to go. One of the league's premier young guards, he is just 26 years old, but he averaged 20.0 points, 3.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds per game last year with a 21.32 player efficiency rating, per ESPN.com.

The free-agency situation surrounding Butler is unpredictable, so it's not fair to say the Lakers are already out of the running. It's something worth keeping an eye on as things progress.

 

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Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers