Well, this is unexpected.
Chris Mannix of The Vertical created a slight stir when he noted that “several rival executives” were planning to resume trade pursuits of Chicago Bulls All-Star Jimmy Butler. The thinking, it went, was that the Bulls weren’t initiating talks or even open to anything. Rival executives were just trying to be aggressive.
Apparently, though, they see a very real opening.
As Mannix has since said (h/t HoopsHype):
I’ve been hearing ramblings that there’s legitimate interest in Chicago in potentially dealing Jimmy Butler this offseason.
This, on some level, is what happens when a team underachieves. Extremes aren’t just assumed, they are considered. This could just be the Bulls overreacting to the heat of their unfortunate moment.
But there’s also a chance that they want to rebuild, wholly and fully, under head coach Fred Hoiberg’s offensive ideals. Butler isn’t the ideal fit for Hoiberg’s play style, and with the San Antonio Spurs and Golden State Warriors set to dominate the championship landscape for years to come, the Bulls, even in the most optimistic scenario, need to do too much in order to legitimately enter the title conversation.
Rebuilding from scratch, then, should at least be on the table. Capitalize on Butler’s value when, assuming his knee is fine, it’s never been higher. Turn him into picks and prospects and develop a team while simultaneously waiting out the reigns of two of the best teams in NBA history.
Does this mean the Bulls will trade Butler? Of course not. But given the season they’ve had, along with the seasons other teams in front of them are bound to keep having, the idea isn’t as ludicrous as it might initially seem.
