Bulls Rumors: Latest Buzz Surrounding Jimmy Butler and More
The Chicago Bulls were supposed to run rampant in the watered-down Eastern Conference alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, but injuries and lackluster defensive play have the Windy City representatives middling at 12-8.
Whether that means changes are on the way remains to be seen, but there are some rumors emanating out of Chicago.
Interestingly, the loudest buzz in that department surrounds a player who the Bulls probably should have locked up before the season began. With that in mind, read on for the latest rumors out of Chicago.
Jimmy Butler
Sean Deveney of Sporting News passed along an update on Jimmy Butler:
"If Butler continues on this current track, several league executives agree he will warrant a max-contract offer next summer. That’s based not only on Butler’s numbers, but his top-tier defensive ability, his age (25) and the fact that nearly half the league will have significant cap space available.
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Butler has always been a defensive ace, but his offensive improvement has been one of the biggest stories in the league. He won Eastern Conference Player of the Month for November and is averaging 21.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 48.8 percent shooting from the field. He also carried the load while players like Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah, Taj Gibson and Pau Gasol dealt with injuries.
Butler is still a defensive force as well and is asked to guard the opponent’s best player on a nightly basis.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau discussed Butler, via Deveney:
"He’s prepared himself well. He continues to work at it. He’s playing with great intensity. He’s studying. He’s preparing. He practices hard. So I’m not surprised. When you practice well you play well, it’s really that simple.
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Butler is also playing a borderline-ridiculous 39.9 minutes per game and has been the one constant in a Bulls lineup that has been rocked by injuries the past couple of seasons.
His presence has been invaluable on both ends of the floor for Chicago, but Deveney’s update suggests that the Bulls missed out on a golden opportunity to lock up a budding star for less than market value.
That by no means guarantees that Butler will be in a different uniform next season, but it will cost the Bulls more than it would have earlier this year.
Gerald Green
Mark Schanowski of Comcast SportsNet Chicago shot down any possibilities of Gerald Green coming to Chicago via trade:
On paper, though, Green makes some sense for the Bulls.
Mike Dunleavy, Doug McDermott and Tony Snell don’t exactly inspire confidence as a potential championship-winning small forward rotation, especially on the defensive side. Chicago needs an upgrade at the position that features guys like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard across the league if it hopes to win the Larry O’Brien Trophy this season.
For Phoenix, there are a number of perimeter options already in place, and Green could leave via free agency anyway.
Green is a rather unheralded player, largely because he is part of a Phoenix team that doesn’t get the attention many other squads around the league do, but he would help address some of Chicago’s deficiencies.
The Bulls are only shooting 36 percent from three-point range, and Green is hitting 38 percent of his threes. He also has an explosive first step that helps him get to the rim off the bounce and blow past slower forwards. Green would give the bench unit a go-to scorer when guys like Rose, Butler and Gasol are on the bench.
Perhaps most importantly, Green is versatile enough to play in the backcourt or frontcourt, so he could give Butler some much-needed rest during the regular season and before the playoffs.
Green’s length at 6’8” and speed would be a solid defensive combination in Thibodeau’s system, which is allowing a surprising 100.5 points per game in the early going.
Alas, Green does not appear like he is heading to Chicago, which is unfortunate for the Bulls because he would be an asset in a number of different areas.
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