Jimmy Butler Comments on Departures of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah
The Chicago Bulls are ostensibly Jimmy Butler's team following the offseason departures of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. On Thursday, Butler insisted he had nothing to do with the roster shake-up, despite assumptions to the contrary.
According to ESPN.com, the two-time All-Star hasn't allowed whispers suggesting that he ran Rose and Noah from the Windy City to the New York Knicks to impact him: "That has nothing to do with me. I don't move guys. It's like I always say: People are going to think what they want to think. That doesn't bother me. I know where I stand. I know who I am."
Butler also made it clear he has no negative feelings regarding his former teammates:
"I'm happy for [Rose]. He's happy for me. I'm glad we get to go against each other whatever day that may be when the season rolls around.
I talked to [Noah]. We texted a few messages. Nothing too serious, but we're always going to have love for each other because we're always going to be teammates. We were in those trenches together.
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With Rose, Noah and San Antonio Spurs signee Pau Gasol out of the picture, the Bulls signed point guard Rajon Rondo and Chicago native Dwyane Wade.
To complete their roster overhaul, the 2016-17 Bulls will feature Robin Lopez, Isaiah Canaan, Jerian Grant and Spencer Dinwiddie, along with draft picks Denzel Valentine and Paul Zipser. The team also moved on from E'Twaun Moore, Justin Holiday, Mike Dunleavy Jr., Aaron Brooks and Cameron Bairstow.
Following a disappointing 2015-16 season that saw the Bulls go 42-40 and miss the playoffs despite expectations for a deep run in the Eastern Conference, sweeping changes were a must. Now it's on Butler, who signed a five-year, $95 million deal with the Bulls in July 2015, to lead the way under head coach Fred Hoiberg.
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