LEBRON JAMES could be getting a new team-mate soon as Jimmy Butler looks for an exit from Minnesota.
At least, that is according to reports in the United States tonight.
Butler, 28, will head into free agency at the end of the 2018/19 season unless the Timberwolves can pin him down to a new deal.
And the former Chicago Bulls star could well be on his way out of the team.
That is according to Bleacher Report, who claim the 6ft 8in star could be angling for a move to Los Angeles by the midway point of the upcoming season.
“Per a source close to Butler, he’s open to the idea of moving on from the Timberwolves to play alongside James in Los Angeles,” the report claims.
DeMarcus Cousins is also supposedly an option for the Lakers but Butler may be preferred, especially considering Cousins’ recent Achilles injury.
LeBron James’ arrival in LA has certainly boosted the Lakers’ potential of reaching the NBA Finals next season.
The basketball superstar left Cleveland after four glittering years at his boyhood team.
Other 2019 free agents who could rock up at LA are Klay Thompson, Kyrie Irving or Kemba Walker.
Butler has, however, also been linked with a trade to Portland Trail Blazers.
“Jimmy Butler may be unhappy in Minnesota, and although adding him at the deadline creates a risk he'll bounce after opting out of his deal, it's possible Portland is ready to gamble,” Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes claims.
“Ideally, the Blazers could build a package around Evan Turner and a first-round pick, but that'll only work if Butler makes it perfectly clear he's not going to re-sign with the Wolves.
“If that's how it plays out, Minnesota's expected return craters, and the allure of a first-rounder might be too hard to resist.”