The Chicago Bulls reportedly will be unable to re-sign Jimmy Butler if he receives a max offer as a restricted free agent this summer. If Chicago can't extend Butler by Oct. 31, the team could look to trade him before the February deadline to get something for him as opposed to letting him walk for free in July.
Neither Chicago nor Butler wants to part ways, but money could change that. Butler is eligible to become a restricted free agent in the summer, and if he does, Joel Brigham of Basketball Insiders believes he'll receive a max contract offer from at least one team.
The problem for Chicago is they won't be able to match a max offer if Butler receives and accepts one. If Chicago wants to keep Butler, they'll need to sign him to an extension before October ends.
"They're certainly going to try, because an extension at $9-10 million right now is going to look like a bargain compared to what he'd get on the open market, which the Bulls could definitely not afford to match," Brigham wrote Thursday. "There's definitely a possibility he'd get a max offer (or close to it) if that were the case, so they want to keep him, but they'll have to extend him on the 'cheap' to do that.
"If he hits free agency (which I can see him wanting to do), he's probably a goner. Two way three/D guys like that are so valuable in today's NBA."
Butler spoke Tuesday about his desire to reach an agreement on an extension with Chicago, but money talks. If the two sides are unable to agree on an extension, the Bulls have two choices: 1) keep him on the team for a playoff run and risk losing him in July, or 2) trade him before February so they at least pick up something for him.
Butler, who's still on his rookie-scale contract, has until Oct. 31 to sign an extension with Chicago.
