Bulls Rumors: Rounding Up Chatter on Jimmy Butler, Mike Dunleavy and More

In the quest to secure a brighter future this offseason, the Chicago Bulls would appear to be better off than most.

The team is coming off a 50-32 season and a trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals. They have notable talent at nearly every position on the floor, so the name of the game for Chicago this summer is retention, as well as shoring up any obvious weak points. 

There's no guarantee of an influx of the right talent, but hopefully they can prevent any damaging exodus of skill. Making life easy on first-year head coach Fred Hoiberg will be key here.

The chatter surrounding just about all 30 NBA teams has been in full swing ever since the 2014-15 NBA Finals concluded. Here are the latest rumors regarding the Bulls.

Jimmy Butler

Oft-injured Derrick Rose might be Chicago's most famous player (he is a former MVP, after all) and 34-year-old Pau Gasol enjoyed a beautiful, resurgent campaign upon joining the Bulls from the Los Angeles Lakers last year, but no player is more crucial to the team's future than small forward Jimmy Butler.

It was a breakout year for Butler, who combined a refined offensive game with his already noteworthy brand of tenacious defense. 

Season	G	MPG	PPG	FG %	RPG	APG	SPG
2013-14	67	38.7	13.1	.397	4.9	2.6	1.9
2014-15	65	38.7	20.0	.462	5.8	3.3	1.8

Those are well-deserved rewards after he apparently committed to a monomaniacal offseason that would make Kobe Bryant or the NFL's J.J. Watt proud.

The 25-year-old Butler is a restricted free agent this offseason with a $4.4 million qualifying offer for next year, according to Spotrac, but is presumably looking to maximize his earnings potential with the looming ballooning of the league's salary cap.

Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times noted the franchise has already tendered him two offers: "The Bulls extended a qualifying offer and a maximum qualifying offer, which means he was offered the maximum five-year, $90 million offer, as well as the one-year qualifying offer of $4.5 million, according to a source."

According to Cowley, league rules dictate that other teams looking to pry him away must tender at a minimum three-year offers. This would actually seem to be closer to Butler's preferred contract length, as he can restructure his contract in short order and make gobs of money.

Grantland's Zach Lowe detailed a solution for Butler's tenuous situation:

"

There’s an easy compromise here: Butler signs a three-year deal with another team, perhaps including a player option for a fourth season, and Chicago either matches it or signs Butler to essentially the same deal. That tethers Butler to the Bulls for most of his prime, and gives him the chance to re-enter free agency after his seventh season — the exact moment at which his max contract jumps from 25 percent of the cap to 30 percent.

"

Lowe also noted that Butler can sign the one-year qualifying offer and play the field unfettered in 2016, but that seems unnecessarily risky. He's only had one truly great offensive season, and a dip in performance or an unfortunate injury could dash any plans of making max money with an enlarged salary cap. More years (but not too many more) seems like the right option.

The Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson reported that Butler is not in favor of the five-year deal unless there are caveats:

Chicago has the upper hand in this situation and should be loath to lose Butler. Unless the rising star makes it absolutely clear he won't be in Chicago long-term or has problems with the existing roster/structure, there's no reason the team shouldn't match whatever outside offer comes its way.

Look for the Bulls to do the right thing and pony up the cash and contract considerations to keep Butler in Chicago. The 25-year-old should be an impact player fir years to come—he can (and will) be paid accordingly.

Mike Dunleavy Jr.

Issac Baldizon/Getty Images

While Butler should be the No. 1 priority for Chicago this offseason, the franchise can't lose control of its other free-agent situations. This includes that of Mike Dunleavy, a long-range specialist who is an unrestricted free agent and apparently coveted by (perhaps) the league's best player, according to ESPN's Marc Stein:

The 34-year-old Dunleavy's output took a slight dip last season, even though his shooting stroke remained well intact.

Season	G	MPG	PPG	FG %	3P %	RPG	APG
2013-14	82	31.5	11.3	.430	.380	4.2	2.3
2014-15	63	29.2	9.4	.435	.407	3.9	1.8

General manager Gar Forman also pointed out his leadership qualities on June 26, via CBS Chicago's Cody Westerlund:

"

We really like Mike and would like to have Mike back. And Mike was has been a very, very good player for us these last couple of years—he had shooting, veteran leadership, a lot of things. I know in our conversations with Mike, he’s really enjoyed a part of being (sic) with this team and this organization. So I know he’s very interested in coming back. Usually when both sides want the same thing, you can find some common ground and get something done. So we’re optimistic we can.

"

In today's NBA, with an emphasis on three-pointers and spacing the floor, a shooter like Dunleavy is a must-have for any team with lofty aspirations. King James may come calling, but Johnson reported that Dunleavy is ready to give Chicago the first crack at locking down his services:

Assuming Butler signs a hefty three- or five-year deal, retaining Dunleavy—who made $3.3 million last year, according to Spotrac—and guard Kirk Hinrich would put them in luxury-tax territory. As noted by Spotrac, the threshold is $81.6 million, and the team's current total salaries are at $64.4 million. However, this is an acceptable price to pay for locking down key players and competing in the short term.

In the watered-down Eastern Conference, the Bulls should be thinking about constructing a roster worthy of the Larry O'Brien Trophy, no matter the expense. Rose, Butler, Gasol and Joakim Noah form the basis of a winning squad if all are healthy. Retaining Dunleavy means the team avoids relying on too heavily on Nikola Mirotic (31.6 percent from downtown last season) and others to provide the requisite long-range threats.

Patrick Beverley

Jae C. Hong/Associated Press

As for players who might be joining Chicago from other teams, keep an eye on point guard Patrick Beverley. Basketball Insiders' Alex Kennedy claimed that the Bulls are among several teams interested in bringing him in:

ESPN.com's Calvin Watkins wrote Monday that the Houston Rockets have offered Beverley a one-year, $2.73 million contract. 

In just three seasons, Beverley has earned a reputation as an unrelenting pest on defense, the kind who likely makes opponents' eyelids twitch in frustration. Despite his defensive prowess, he's a drag on offense, shooting just 38.3 percent from the floor last season and averaging a shade over 10 points per game. 

The 26-year-old might make a fine defensive upgrade over Aaron Brooks in Chicago. The Bulls certainly can't underestimate the importance of having strong backups behind Rose at point guard, considering his well-documented injury history. Beverly also happens to be from Chicago, so returning home could be a huge selling point for him.

Still, Beverley has started 110 games for Houston the past two seasons and averaged over 30 minutes per contest, and playing time he would find hard to come by in Chicago. If the Bulls are busy locking up Dunleavy and Butler, they may not want to get into a bidding war for Beverley.