Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler is having a breakout year, but that doesn't mean Chicago will be willing to give the soon-to-be restricted free agent a big payday. According to Basketball Insiders' Steve Kyler, the Bulls' history of not paying their No. 3 guy could spell the end of Butler's tenure in the Windy City.
Butler bet on himself when he decided to test the market this summer, and so far he's won the gamble. The 25-year-old is having a huge season with 21.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game and won't be short of suitors this summer when he's eligible to hit restricted free agency. He'll command a hefty contract, which Chicago might be unwilling to give.
Per Kyler:
"The problem is Jimmy would have done $12 -$12.5 million in October. I don't think there is a scenario in which Jimmy doesn't sign a deal for $15-$16 million a year in July. With the Cap going up and everything that's changing economically, the Bulls can give Jimmy that kind of a deal. The question is do they want to? The Bulls have a history of not paying a third player.
"They have Derrick and Joakim, will they pony up the big bucks for Jimmy too?"
Butler is 2-way player who's an integral part to what Chicago does on the court. While it's highly unlikely he'd be traded before the February deadline, it's possible the Bulls choose to save money and decline to match whatever offer he might get. If they did choose to pay him, though, Kyler reported the Bulls would only hurt financially for one season if they tried to keep their roster intact this coming offseason.
"The Bulls can deal with the tax after they lock up Jimmy," Kyler wrote. "Tax is computed at the end of the season, so they can try and trade off a Taj Gibson or guys like that to lessen the tax burden. But assuming things stay on course, the Tax line could get to $100 million in 2016 - so we're talking about a single year of tax to keep the team together without a trade."
