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Jimmy Butler Comments on Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumors, Bulls Roster
February 8, 2017
New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony has been the subject of trade rumors lately, and if Jimmy Butler had his choice, he would be on the move to the Chicago Bulls.
"I think everybody knows what Carmelo can bring to a team," Butler said Wednesday, per Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times. "The dude is a helluva player."
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported Monday that LeBron James was pushing for the Cleveland Cavaliers to add Anthony, even if it meant dealing Kevin Love, although James responded by calling the story "trash," per NBA on TNT.
Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Clippers are still involved in a potential deal for Anthony, according to Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times.
As for the Bulls, Butler recognizes any trade would not be his final call, but he wanted to make the nine-time All-Star know he would feel welcome.
"You can talk to [Anthony] and tell him all this, all that, but as far as a trade and all that stuff goes, that's for the front office because there's only so much say [the players] can have in a deal like that," Butler said. "There's not too much I can do in that aspect."
Anthony considered joining the Bulls when he was a free agent in 2014, acknowledging it was down to Chicago and New York.
"It was a perfect setup, perfect fit for me in Chicago," the forward said, per Ian Begley of ESPN.com. His unwillingness to uproot his life ended up causing him to stay with the Knicks.
However, a souring relationship with team president Phil Jackson could convince him to waive his no-trade clause before the Feb. 23 deadline.
"I think that we have some things that we've got to worry about here first in the next few weeks [leading into the trade deadline], before we go down that road," Butler noted about potentially acquiring Anthony.
The Bulls are 26-26 on the season, good enough for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.