Jimmy Butler Comments on Derrick Rose Trade to Knicks

Jimmy Butler knew there was a line in the sand between him and Derrick Rose. The Chicago Bulls had to trade one of them this offseason.

But during an appearance on ESPN's The Jump on Wednesday, Butler made it clear Rose's move to New York was for basketball reasons, not a result of personal animus, per Cody Westerlund of CBS Chicago:

"

I can't say that I was surprised. I knew it had to be one of us, to tell you the truth. Obviously, I enjoyed playing with him. I came into the league when he was the MVP. I got so much respect for the guy. I have no bad things to say about him. I wish him the best moving forward.

"

The Bulls traded Rose to the New York Knicks on June 22 in exchange for center Robin Lopez and point guards Jerian Grant and Jose Calderon. The move provoked differing opinions, with some saying the Knicks overpaid for a declining star and others complimenting New York's relative lack of opportunity cost.

Lopez will presumably be the Bulls' starting center, and his contract (three years, approximately $41 million remaining) will look good after this summer's cap bonanza. But he's a league-average starter and doesn't have one defining skill. Grant is a young point guard one year removed from being a top-20 pick, and Calderon represents fine salary fodder for a year.

But Butler acknowledged on The Jump that the deal had to happen for one simple reason—the two didn't work together on the floor:

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Because we didn't win, I think everything comes up. If we win, there's nothing to say. We're fine, we can get along together, we'd probably still be teammates to tell you the truth. But we didn't win. I didn't do my job, as well as he didn't.

"

Numerous reports even dating back to before last season hinted at some discord within the Chicago backcourt. Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported Butler did not respect Rose's work ethic in October, and Nick Friedell of ESPN.com (h/t Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post) highlighted some tension between Butler and teammates in December on an episode of the Posting Up podcast.

Rose and Butler clearly remained friendly on a personal level. A video of them playing Password together went viral in March, and even Cowley's mostly negative report established them as friends.

Butler is getting a clear picture of the business now, especially after numerous reports linked him to trades on and around draft night. He said he doesn't "think anything's for certain" regarding his future with the Bulls, but he did not seem bitter about their relationship:

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It's good. We talk. I can’t say we talk about everything, because we don't. But I think most of the important things, I get a phone call or a text message and we'll talk. They'll take my opinion on some things, but I'm a player.

"

The Rose trade and the likely departure of Joakim Noah in free agency will signify a new era of basketball in Chicago. The only other player remaining from Rose's MVP season is Taj Gibson, and there is going to be more roster turnover to come.

Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter.