NBA trade idea sends Jimmy Butler to Hawks, Jonathan Kuminga to Bucks

If you’re going to fire up the NBA trade machine in late August, you might as well make it complicated.

A new hypothetical from Rohan Roman of NBA on SI certainly qualifies. The proposal involves three teams, Jimmy Butler, Jonathan Kuminga, Myles Turner and enough moving parts to require a flow chart.

The basic idea: Atlanta gets Butler, Milwaukee gets Kuminga and Golden State gets Turner as part of a massive three-team swap. Here’s the proposed deal:

Hawks receive: Jimmy Butler, three second-round picks.

Bucks receive: Jonathan Kuminga (via sign-and-trade for three years and $60 million), Corey Kispert, Buddy Hield, Mouhamed Gueye, two first-round picks and a first-round pick swap.

Warriors receive: Myles Turner, Ryan Rollins, Asa Newell, Jericho Sims and a 2027 first-round pick from Atlanta.

Again, this is an idea, not something being reported as under discussion.

But Roman’s premise is interesting. Atlanta has yet to find a resolution with Kuminga, and rather than simply moving him elsewhere, the Hawks could theoretically use his situation as the starting point for something considerably bigger.

Butler would certainly qualify. He’s 36 and recovering from a torn ACL, so there’s plenty of risk involved. Before the injury, though, Butler was averaging 20.0 points, 5.6 rebounds and 4.9 assists for Golden State.

Roman argues that his playmaking, postseason experience and ability to create in the halfcourt could give Jalen Johnson the high-level veteran running mate Atlanta lacked during last season’s playoff loss to the Knicks.

Milwaukee, meanwhile, gets Kuminga and a pile of future draft capital as it continues reshaping the roster. Golden State turns Butler and its picks into frontcourt help while trying to squeeze whatever remains out of the Stephen Curry window.

Would three teams actually agree to all this? Probably not.

But it does accomplish one thing immediately. Namely, it gives everyone something new to argue about on the internet in late August.

And around here, we consider that a public service.