Jimmy Butler and the Chicago Bulls are finally on the same page.
And that page doesn’t include an imminent divorce.
A source told the Chicago Sun-Times‘ Joe Cowley that Butler met with Bulls brass and came away understanding the team’s direction:
According to a team source, Butler met Monday with vice president of basketball operations John Paxson and general manager Gar Forman. And while details of what was discussed were vague, the source said both sides came out ‘‘very satisfied with the direction.’’
It was the first time Butler had spoken face-to-face with Paxson and Forman since the Bulls’ season ended with a first-round playoff loss to the Boston Celtics in late April.
‘‘Jimmy came away feeling appreciated and, more importantly, knows he’s not being shopped [on the trade market],’’ the source said.
This is a fantastic development for the Bulls. They remain in a weird spot, with Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade likely both on their way back. They’re essentially caught in another year’s worth of limbo, somewhere between trying to compete and rebuilding. That Butler appears to be on board with that, and with whatever their plan is after the fact, is good news, if only for the importance placed in stars and front-office faces sharing a united front.
That the Bulls may have committed to keeping Butler, however, is a tad weird. John Paxson and Gar Forman have basically hedged whenever they’re asked about it. Why the sudden subscription to a more definitive stance? Do they know the Boston Celtics won’t deal the No. 1 pick? Are they just finally devoted to building around the only star they have?
Things in Chicago are far from ironed out. The Bulls are entering a pivotal offseason, regardless of whether they plan to retain Butler. But it’s good to know both parties are on the same side—even if we don’t know exactly what that side is.
