Does Jimmy Butler's Play Still Warrant a Max Contract from the Chicago Bulls?
Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler has cooled down a bit following a red-hot start to the season. Is he still worthy of a max contract?
Butler failed to reach an extension agreement with the Bulls before the October 31 deadline. He rejected the team's final offer, meaning he'll become a restricted free agent this summer.
The Tomball, Texas native gave his reason for not accepting the offer, via Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
"It came down to me deciding that I want to bet on myself. It was about me believing that I put the work in this summer to become a better player with the hope that my improvement will give the Bulls a better chance to win a championship."
While it remains to be seen whether the Bulls win a championship this year, Butler has certainly improved.
He is having the best season of his career, averaging 20.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.8 steals on 46.2 percent shooting from the field. And his 7.4 free-throw attempts rank fifth in the league.
Butler was rewarded for his breakout campaign, earning a spot on the Eastern Conference All-Star team as a reserve.
He's an All-Star, but is he a max contract guy as well? It sure looked like it earlier in the season.
Fantastic November and December
Missing the first two games of the season with a thumb injury, Butler made his debut on November 1 against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He finished the contest with a team-high 24 points and got to the free-throw line 15 times, hitting 11.
Speaking of free throws, Butler sank a pair to give the Derrick Rose and Taj Gibson-less (both out with injuries) Bulls a 106-105 road victory. And just like that, the new "Jimmy G. Buckets" was unveiled.
Butler would top the 20-point mark 10 additional times during November, including two performances of 32. He took home Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors, producing 21.9 points per game and shooting 49.8 percent from the field.
December was also kind to Butler, as he averaged 21.5 points and shot 46.5 percent overall. He scored over 30 on three occasions, including back-to-back nights (Dec. 18 and 19). And with him leading the way, Chicago finished the month with an 11-4 record.
January Dip
Butler looked like a superstar in the making during the first two months. Yet, he sort of came down to earth in January. He averaged 17.9 points and shot just 41.7 percent from the field. Expecting him to shoot almost 50 percent like he did during November is foolish. He's not Kyle Korver.
Playing nearly 40 minutes a night, Butler just might've run out of gas. But then again, the reason behind his decreased numbers may have been the absence of Mike Dunleavy. The Bulls forward stretches the floor with his three-point shooting, giving Butler room to get to the basket. SB Nation's Jay Patt wrote about this:
"It of course must be noted that Butler's slide has coincided with the absence of Mike Dunleavy due to an ankle injury. While some regression for Butler was expected, I don't think it's much of a coincidence that Butler has been especially poor with Dunleavy on the pine.
One, Dunleavy's floor spacing opens up the floor for Butler, which helps create more driving lanes. With Kirk Hinrich or Tony Snell out there, teams are more content to pack the paint. This has led to more jump shots and tougher shots in the paint when Butler does drive to the hoop.
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Butler failed to attempt over 100 free throws in January after reaching the mark the previous two months. The lack of Dunleavy's spacing probably did play a huge role in that.
Yes or No to a Max Deal?
Since Butler will be a restricted free agent, the Bulls have the right to match any offer he receives. It's possible that a team with a bunch of cap space will sign him to an offer sheet, hoping the Bulls refuse to match.
However, David Haugh of the Chicago Tribune believes the Bulls will sign Butler to a max deal even if it means paying the luxury tax:
"They fully expect to sign Butler to a max deal next July before another team even gets involved to tempt him with an offer sheet, which the CBA says they can after the moratorium ends. They accept that the size of Butler's contract will put the Bulls in position to pay the luxury tax, something Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf says he will do for a championship contender his team is.
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Although his numbers took a hit during January, Butler is still worthy of a max contract. He gets the job done on both ends of the floor, locking down the opposing team's top perimeter player and has the ability to score over 20 points a night. A player like that is truly hard to find these days.
The Bulls had been searching for a starting shooting guard. Guys like the offensively-challenged Keith Bogans and the injury-prone Richard Hamilton weren't the answers. Butler has clearly blossomed into the perfect solution.
A movie needs to be made about Butler's life. Kicked out of the house at age 13, he later tuned out to be the 30th pick in the 2011 draft and now serves as one of the game's top two-way players.
Signing a max contract with the Bulls should be the next step. He has earned it.
All stats are from Basketball-Reference.com and accurate as of February 21.
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