The NBA regular season came to a close Wednesday night, and the Chicago Bulls finished on a three-game winning streak. Unfortunately, that winning streak was too little, too late for the Bulls, as they have missed the playoffs and will now head into an offseason filled with question marks.
There are questions about first year head coach Fred Hoiberg and virtually every player on the roster's future with the team. You would think of everyone on the roster, Jimmy Butler would be safe considering he is young and their best player, but there have been rumblings about him possibly being traded this offseason.
Of course, Bulls fans would not be so happy with Butler being traded, and it still may be a long shot, but general manager Gar Forman didn't do anything to quiet down the rumors, and, in fact, he actually enhanced them. Forman was asked about Butler and his future with the team, and he responded by saying that the Bulls "have to explore all options" before adding "Jimmy had a fantastic year."
With Derrick Rose on the shelf for much of last season, Butler broke out and became the star player for the Bulls. Butler turned that excellent season into a five-year max contract with Chicago that will take him through 2020. In his first year of that contract, the former Marquette star had an outstanding season, averaging 20.9 points and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 45 percent from the floor, but there are concerns about him off the court.
Butler has never gotten into legal trouble or anything like that, but there are reports out there that say the 26-year-old guard has tried to take on the leadership role but has come off as arrogant. One report says that Butler's "emboldened state" has caused a lot of tension throughout the locker room. On top of Butler irking his teammates, there has also been a lot of talk about his chemistry with Rose, something that Forman admitted was lacking.
On the surface, trading Butler would seem like a bad idea, but in reality, it isn't. Butler and Rose cannot coexist, that much is clear after Hoiberg said that he would try to stagger their minutes next season, and Rose isn't going anywhere for next season since nobody would take that contract. Butler is a guy that would draw a whole lot of trade interest and would certainly be able to bring in a nice package for the Bulls considering he is an All-Star who is entering his prime years. As currently constructed, the Bulls have clearly hit their peak, so they may be in need of a full rebuild. Trading Butler would streamline that process because he would be able to return plenty of future assets. So before you go freaking out about Forman not shutting the door on a possible Butler trade, just realize that it isn't actually that bad of an idea.
