It’s not a secret that the Chicago Bulls are going through a season of turmoil. The team is also struggling to remain viable in the Eastern Conference Playoff race heading into the All-Star break. They currently sit at 26-29 and closer to the second-worst record in the conference than a top-four seed.
That’s most definitely not what the Bulls had in mind when they added Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade to go with All-Star Jimmy Butler.
Now heading into trade season, there’s been rumors floating about that Chicago may simply just decide to throw in the towel with its core group of players. We can now add one NBA executive to the list of experts who think this could happen.
Today, a general manager told me he believes the Bulls would accept a "Godfather offer" for Jimmy Butler. But they want a lot (obviously).
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) February 14, 2017
When Jimmy Butler signed a five-year extension with Chicago back in July of 2015, it was readily apparent that the team was set to build its roster around him. Add in the Derrick Rose trade from this past offseason and that was magnified even further.
Unfortunately, there seems to be a disconnect between Butler and the team’s front office. That was brought to the forefront when reports came out last year that Butler was not happy with the powers-to-be in Chicago. Potential rifts with teammates may also play a role here.
On the court, Butler continues to be the Bulls’ best player. He’s averaging 24.5 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. Despite a recent heel injury, it’s highly likely that the Bulls would receive a nice bounty in return should they decide to trade Butler and break this whole thing up.
It just remains to be seen what Chicago would need to acquire in order to seriously consider moving its All-Star wing. That’s a question we will have an answer to here in the coming weeks.