Report: Chicago Bulls expected to trade Jimmy Butler
A report surfaced on Thursday that indicated that the Chicago Bulls are expected to trade All-Star forward Jimmy Butler this summer.
Jimmy Butler’s days with the Chicago Bulls may be numbered.
According to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, there is an expectation that Butler will be traded this summer.
"Paul George and Jimmy Butler were involved in trade rumors at the deadline, and all indications are that those conversations will resume this offseason. One front-office source told me recently that Butler is “as good as gone,”"
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In all honesty, trading Butler would not be the worst decision by the Bulls’ organization. Butler is an extremely talented player but he may never reach superstar status. If the Bulls feel that statement is true, then this summer would be the right time to trade Butler. The 2017 NBA Draft class is said to be the best draft class the NBA has seen since the mid-2000s.
The issue is that the Bulls always seem to be torn in the middle. Last off-season, it appeared that the Bulls were starting the rebuilding process with the trade of Derrick Rose but then backed off for fear of not being competitive. That fear has driven the Bulls straight into basketball hell. The Bulls are just good enough to make the playoffs but not do anything of consequence and lose out on the opportunity of a lottery pick.
The Bulls must make a decision. Decide between rebuilding or trying to “get younger and more athletic” while still competing for the playoffs.
If the rebuild is the choice, then trading Butler would be a clear sign of that.
If rebuilding is not the answer, then the Bulls must keep Butler and hope that Dwyane Wade opts in for the 2017-2018 season. From there, the team would need to add another superstar–preferably the signing of impending free agent Blake Griffin.
Next: Cameron Payne, a sore spot for Chicago Bulls
One thing is clear, the Chicago Bulls can no longer afford to stay in the middle between rebuild and being competitive.