I don't think I made it clear that it's the construct, not its execution, that's simple. It's going to take a combination of one strategic trade hitting on one draft pick (Justin Patton) and some internal improvement. I do think you're overstating the talent needed to be average defensively though.
I'm very interested to see how Nurkic works out. The highlight video of his rookie season made it look like he could be a good defensive C. Vonleh has shown flashes of good defensive ability - mobility, strength, length. If both of them develop to the point where they're capable starters and not total duds on offense, then we simply need to trade for Butler - and with three 1st round picks and a good shooter in Crabbe, we just might be able to swing that. Bada-bing, bada-boom - we've got a good starting line-up! Of course it remains to be seen whether Nurkic/Vonleh can be those players.
When you're starting with two guards who are significant defensive minuses, in a guard-dominated league, the remaining three players need to be well above average defensive just to get the starting unit to league average. And if you want the entire roster to be league average, either your remaining three starters need to be incredible defenders or else your bench needs to be good defensively--but if your bench is just defensive specialists, then your offense will choke when starters hit the bench. So you'd either need incredible defensive players in your starting lineup or else above average defensive starters and a group of average two-way players on the bench--either task is very difficult. I think, in general, people underestimate how difficult it'll be to build an average or better defense around two defense-deficient stars without killing spacing, and thus the offense, with defensive specialists who can't do much else.
Ha. You're basically looking at parlaying three extremely unlikely events, arguably four: That Nurkic and Vonleh develop into useful offensive players and that Chicago gives up Butler for three not-great draft picks (in a strong draft, yes) and a very overpaid shooter. I don't think Chicago considers that deal, personally (would you give up McCollum for those three picks and Crabbe?), and I think it's reasonably unlikely that either Nurkic or Vonleh become solid offensive players, let alone both. I do think Nurkic has good defensive potential, though. Vonleh might become a good defender, but he's not there yet--more likely than his offense, though, IMO.
Dame and CJ aren't going anywhere so people are gonna have to kill that narrative real quick not only because it's dumb but they aren't getting traded so work your hypothetical scenarios with everybody else besides dame and cj and we might get somewhere
I don't think getting Butler is as costly as most do. Name another team that would trade a CJ-level player for him. I just don't see it happening. Maybe BOS with their picks and Bradley? But while good, Bradley is not a player you build around like CJ is - he's more of a complimentary player.
In a vacuum, I really don't think the Bulls would trade Butler straight up for McCollum (or Lillard). He's a very good offensive player and an excellent defensive player. Two-way stars are very rare. I say "in a vacuum," because maybe the Bulls just want to get rid of him and would be willing to downgrade to do it. Even then, I don't think they'd sell him for pennies on the dollar, because he's still their only chip to jumpstart a rebuild, but if they really want him out, then they might consider someone like McCollum. I think you're really underrating Butler and what he'd command on the market.
I'm not underrating Butler, I just know that there are serious issues between him and management, and everyone in the league knows it - so that alone drives down his price. Then add on top of that how many teams have a player of CJ's ability, and you reduce the competition to a small handful of teams. Then you ask which of those teams would give that player up for Butler, and the competition becomes even less. CHI isn't going to get a CJ in return. They might get someone who becomes a CJ-level player, but not one that has already proven to be a CJ-level player. Utah got Favors for Williams, and Williams was arguably a Butler-level player when that trade went down. Denver got Gallinari for Melo, and Melo was at least a Butler-level player at the time. Yes, both teams got more in those trades, but neither of them got anyone nearly as good as CJ, or as good as the player they traded away. I think Crabbe plus 2-3 first round picks is pretty comparable.
In both cases, they were traded under duress of a player they didn't think they could sign who'd be a free agent soon (Anthony that off-season, Williams the next off-season). Butler is signed for a couple years after this one, so they have no incentive to do a rip-off deal (which I certainly think that deal you propose qualifies as, as none of the draft picks are likely to be premium first-rounders and Crabbe isn't an asset at his contract level). No matter how at odds management is with Butler, as their only major asset and no imminent risk of losing him for nothing, they'll keep him until they get a serious offer. It could something like the #1 pick in this draft (Portland couldn't get the #1 pick with their three picks) and a decent player (like Boston might be able to offer, depending on ping pong balls) or it could be a lesser star like McCollum, but it'll still be steep. Outside of Lillard and McCollum, Portland has no combination of assets worth even a slightly-discounted Butler, in my opinion.
Dame is a decent 1 on 1 defender. Stotts system sets him up to fail. People who want to trade an easy top 3 all time blazer are out of their minds.
