Has the Chicago Bulls figured it out already? It seems like they may be keeping Jimmy Butler.
The latest news from the Chicago Bulls is that they will send Jimmy Butler to the draft lottery. While this is a common practice among teams to send their best player to the event, there are some implications considering there were trade rumors swirling about him.
The conclusion is that the Bulls are already committing to Butler with this move, as implied by KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune.
"It might be time to hold off on those Jimmy Butler trade rumors. In a sign of commitment not present at management's season-ending postmortem, the Bulls have asked their two-time All-Star to represent the franchise on the dais at the May 17 NBA draft lottery, sources said."
The Bulls could choose anyone and they chose Butler, as Johnson implied, as the team front office's way of making up for their hesitation.
Does this mean that Derrick Rose is the one more likely to be traded? It is not a direct conclusion but the reports about the turmoil and the division among the players has been confirmed by the team's beat reporters. There were pundits who claimed that only one of Rose and Butler would remain on the team for next season.
It would not be beyond reason that the Bulls have already gauged interest or perhaps even negotiated transactions for either or both players. Rose is their biggest contract and with his injuries, he has not been able to play up to the 21 million that they owe him.
However, he has an expiring contract and while that is not much of an asset now with the increased salary cap, the possibility that he will play his guts out for a new contract is real.
The Philadelphia 76ers are expected to take a 180- degree turn from "The Process" of GM Sam Hinkie and that means they look to contend now. Rose fills a need for them at the point guard position. It is unlikely that other point guards would choose the Sixers as teams like the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Milwaukee Bucks are all seeking point guard help.
It was proposed in the Chicago Bulls site Blog a Bull that Rose be traded to the Sixers. Even if the Sixers don't send any substantial players back, the trade is good because they're under the cap. Also, for the Bulls, it's about gaining cap flexibility.