And the Jimmy Butler rumor mill train rolls on.
Chicago Bulls general manager Gar Forman held an impromptu presser following the team’s win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, during which he was asked to address the future of presumed franchise cornerstone Jimmy Butler. His answer, per K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, left room for interpretation to say the least:
Wow. Asked about committing to Butler, Forman said, "We have to explore all options. With that said, Jimmy has had a fantastic year."
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) April 14, 2016
There is likely more to this answer than meets the eye. There are reports out there that Butler didn’t fare well as a more prominent leader within the Bulls’ locker room—that he didn’t handle his elevated status the right way. Forman even admitted that Derrick Rose and Butler, the team’s two most important players for now, don’t have the right mix of chemistry.
Still, it would seem that a Butler trade is a long shot.
Or, you know, maybe not.
CSN Chicago’s Vincent Goodwill penned an extensive response to the Bulls’ lost season, wherein he revealed Chicago pulled out of a potential Butler deal with the Boston Celtics because Danny Ainge wouldn’t include Jae Crowder. The Celtics are armed with a crazy amount of assets, including the third-best lottery odds, so this is an avenue that could be revisited over the offseason.
But Butler is the lone star the Bulls have. And with Rose approaching the end of his contract, in addition to Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah entering free agency, Chicago will see value in the direction and stability Butler provides.
Then again, with the team so obviously approaching an unanticipated crossroads. it might actually be easier for the Bulls to hit reset, gut the roster, including Butler, and rebuild from the ground up.
We shall see.
