Chicago Bulls small forward Jimmy Butler is currently available in the trade market, according to latest trade speculations.

SB Nation cited Bleacher Report's Ric Bucher as the source of the rumors, saying that "shooting guard Jimmy Butler is available for the right price" and that the Los Angeles Lakers could be interested in trading for two-time NBA All-Star.

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Bucher said to have noted that even with Butler's recent 52-point production in a 118-111 win over the Charlotte Hornets is not enough to "change the team's thinking" of trying to deal him before the trade deadline.

He also said that Bulls general manager Gar Forman "held off aggressively pursuing a move sooner this season because of the team's surprising start". But with the team now dropping to eight in the East with an 18-18 record, "Butler is apparently back in the market".

There had been speculations that Chicago has always doubted Butler as their franchise player even though the club had signed him to a five-year, $95 million deal in the summer of 2015.

However, it is not yet certain what kind of package the Lakers are ready to give up to acquire Butler or if the Hollywood squad is even willing to part ways with some of the young stars in their current core.

Another concern for the Lakers if they pursue a trade for Butler is their salary cap. Should they not include either Luol Deng or Timofey Mozgov in the trade package, the Lakers are set to commit $51 million in salaries to the trio next season, which is not quite beneficial for the rebuilding squad.

Meanwhile, CBS Local Boston indicated that the Celtics could also be interested in Butler as team president Danny Ainge continues his search for "another star player".

The report noted that Butler would be a "fantastic fit on the Celtics and a great building block", but the question is what would be the Bulls' asking price. Rumors went out on draft night last June about Chicago and Boston negotiating for Butler but it did not push through.

TagsNBA Trade Rumors, NBA Trade Rumors 2017, Jimmy Butler, Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics