Mitch Kupchak and the Lakers' front office have noticed the Bulls' guard's breakout year.
The Lakers are "preparing [a] maximum-salary offer" for Bulls' shooting guard and pending restricted free agent Jimmy Butler, according to Shams Charania of Real GM. Butler was recently named the NBA's Most Improved Player for his breakout 2014-15 season, in which he averaged 20 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.8 steals in 38.7 minutes per game.
If acquired, Butler would not only instantly become Kobe Bryant's heir apparent on the wing, but would almost surely improve a Lakers' defense which ranked second-to-last in the league with a defensive rating of 108.