Retool around Jimmy Butler or trade him and rebuild completely?
That was the question hanging over the Bulls for at least a year now, and it has been hard to read what Bulls management was thinking, their actions were inconsistent. Last year they were going to go young, then went out and signed Dwyane Wade and Rajon Rondo.
Now it looks like trading him may be the call. From Vincent Goodwill of CSNChicago.com.The Bulls routinely say they’ll take phone calls from teams about Butler’s availability around this time and at the trade deadline but this time around, multiple sources tell CSNChicago.com the Bulls are doing more than listening: they’re shopping Butler to many teams....
The Boston Celtics have always been fond of Butler and have the assets the Bulls, in theory, would be attracted to in terms of multiple draft picks and affordable contracts on the current roster. The Cleveland Cavaliers seemed to be on the Bulls’ doorstep before abruptly ending their partnership with GM David Griffin Monday evening.
On the surface they would appear to be the favorites as the Phoenix Suns have been “doing due diligence,” according to league sources. And the Denver Nuggets were on the periphery at the trade deadline, acquiring about Butler.
The most interesting thing is that the Bulls seem serious this time. Maybe. Ownership there doesn’t like the idea of a rebuild, they want to make the playoffs every year and sell out (contending is nice but not required). This would be a rebuild and the Bulls are out of the playoffs for a few years. Butler has said he wants to stay, and he likely would qualify for a designated player super max contract in 2019 when he is a free agent if they want to keep him.
The Celtics would be interesting, they have the pieces to pull this off, but in the past they haven’t put all that on the table for Butler. If they are willing to trade the No. 3 plus two of Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, and Jae Crowder, then they would only need to make a few smaller moves to still have the money to still chase Gordon Hayward in free agency with a max offer, stockpiling their team. If they trade all three players they would have space, but the Bulls likely want picks in this deal. Plural.
Butler wants to go to the Cavaliers, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. David Griffin reportedly left the Cavaliers proposals they could pitch for Butler (and Paul George), but could owner Dan Gilbert and defacto GM Koby Altman really pull that off? I’m not convinced, mostly because the Cavaliers don’t have a pick to trade until 2021, so it would take a third team and delicate negotiations.
The Nuggets have a lot of good assets, and you slide Butler next to Jamal Murray, getting passes from Nikola Jokic, and you have something there. The Suns have assets as well.
The only question is if the Bulls are really serious this time.