Amid Trade Rumors, Jimmy Butler Wants To Remain A Chicago Bull

Despite emerging as the best player on a team with 2011 NBA MVP Derrick Rose and Pau Gasol, Chicago Bulls’ shooting guard Jimmy Butler has been the subject of trade rumors since January.

The Bulls are struggling towards the end of the season with a record of 38-37 and trail division rival Indiana for the eighth and final spot in the Eastern Conference by one game. Regardless the outcome of the season (barring an improbable run at a NBA Championship), the Bulls could be looking at a roster overhaul to start rebuilding into a contender.

Butler has said he wants to remain in the Windy City, “That’s why I’m here. I don’t plan on going anywhere. I can’t control what everybody else does. I know that this is the city that I love, Chicago. And I want to wear that jersey. I want to wear that name on the front, and I wear it proudly. All I got to do is continue to control what I can control. That’s try to help this team win games.”

According to Yahoo! Sports, the Boston Celtics failed in their pursuit of the 6’7” Marquette product in February, but Butler, in the midst of the best season in the NBA, hasn’t paid attention to off the court matters.

“To tell you the truth I don’t [pay] attention to the rumors. Somebody sent [the story] to me today, and I just clicked off of it. I mean, why am I getting in [to the speculation]? I can’t control it. I can’t say don’t do this or don’t do that. That’s not my job. If I do what I’m supposed to do on the floor, then everything else takes care of itself. I’m a firm believer in that.”

Butler is averaging career highs in both points (21) and assists (4.4) per game while adding 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest.  Widely regarded as one of the top on ball perimeter defenders in the league, Butler has been named to the All-NBA Defensive Second Team twice (2014-15) and was the NBA’s Most Improved Player in 2015.

If the Bulls were to look at trades for Butler, who along with center Joakim Noah have had issues with new coach Fred Hoiberg‘s system, it is highly unlikely they would get something equivalent to his value right away.  Butler is one of the top two-way players in the league and Chris Mannix reported on The Vertical that the Bulls have legitimate interests in exploring the trade market in the offseason.  One of the teams Mannix mentions as a possible landing spot is Orlando.  The best a team like Orlando or Boston could offer would be draft picks, the Celtics still own a number of first rounders from the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce trade to the Nets a few years ago and the Magic are probably still a few years away from being legit contenders.

Both teams would improve drastically with the addition of a player like Butler.  Boston would take the next step in challenging the Cavaliers and Raptors in the East, while Orlando would take a huge step towards playoff contention with a young core.

Of course the Bulls could overhaul the roster around Butler, Noah and Gasol are free agents, so maybe Chicago would try to trade Rose and find themselves with cap space to go after free agents this offseason.  Butler is still in the middle of his prime with his basketball in front of him, and he wants to stay in Chicago but it would also be a shame to see his talent wasted in a rebuilding effort.