The Chicago Bulls' playoff hopes got a little brighter Thursday night when they defeated the Houston Rockets, while the team they are chasing, the Indiana Pacers, lost to the Orlando Magic. The Bulls are still one game back of the eighth spot with just seven games to play, but they have a chance to sneak into the postseason.
Even if the Bulls make it into the playoffs, though, they will likely take on the Cavaliers in the first round, a series which many would expect them to lose. With all of the talent on this Bulls team, a first round exit isn't what anybody was expecting this season, and it likely won't be accepted.
Chicago will likely look to make some changes this offseason to the coaching staff, the roster, or maybe even both. The one player that you would presume would be safe is Jimmy Butler considering he is their best player and he just signed a long-term extension, but that may not be the case. It is being reported that the Bulls have "legitimate interest" in trading Butler this season.
Chicago's roster clearly needs a shakeup considering they have reached their peak with this core and are now on a downswing. Trading Butler, though, is not something that anybody really expected them to be open to because of the aforementioned contract and the fact that he is a 26-year-old superstar.
The Boston Celtics made an attempt to trade for Butler at the trade deadline, but the offer reportedly included future picks and current reserves, so the Bulls didn't even take those talks seriously. If Butler is seriously made available this offseason, the Celtics will likely have interest again considering their desire to acquire a star, but trading for him will be costly. Butler does have knee concerns moving forward, but he is still a young star who is still getting better and is just entering his prime. One team to reportedly watch in regards to a potential Butler trade this summer is the Orlando Magic because they have the young players that the Bulls might want in return.
Butler has caught wind of these rumors since they started circulating, and for what it's worth, he wants to stay in Chicago and win there because it is "the city that I love." Unfortunately for Butler, he doesn't really have any say in the matter, and if the Bulls want to trade him and get back future assets, they will. Butler would draw plenty of interest on the trade market, and the Bulls would get back a lot to be able to build for the future in any trade involving the two-time All-Star, but it would still be a risky move. Butler may not be as good as he will eventually be, and trading an All-Star player that is still improving is always a scary proposition. These are some of the many things that the Bulls will have to take into account this offseason with regards to Butler.
