Jimmy Butler takes a shot over Jae Crowder. (Photo : Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics are in a rare position where they will be participating in this year's postseason and at the same time, having a top five pick in the upcoming draft, a perk only lottery teams enjoy. However, it seems like they have other plans for that prized Brooklyn pick as they are serious about their goal to land a franchise star.
They have set their eyes on Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins earlier this season but the deal did not push through. Now, they are reportedly making a run for Chicago Bulls star Jimmy Butler but that might not be possible if forward Jae Crowder will be included in the deal.
CSN Chicago's Vernon Goodwill reported that the Bulls management lost some interest when Danny Ainge declined to include the versatile forward in the conversation, Mass Live reported. The only trade chips Ainge is willing to include are two first round picks, Brooklyn's, which is expected to land in the top 5 and Dallas' somewhere in the mid first-round.
That deal would be enticing for any team but Butler has grown to become one of the best shooting guards in the league right now, the report added. It would cost the Celtics more than that to land him. Fortunately, their roster has many young assets that the Bulls will find interesting.
With how the Bulls are in such a mess right now, it would not be a bad idea should they move Butler. Chatters inside the Bulls locker room state that veterans of the team are not pleased with the special treatment Butler is receiving from the management, CBS Sports reported.
ESPN's Chris Broussard further strengthened the claim when he said that the Bulls' locker room is divided into two factions right now.
"There is a division. There are all types of dysfunction in Chicago," Broussard told sources. "There's kind of a division in that locker room. The younger players see Butler as the leader."
He added that the veterans do not respect Butler being the franchise cornerstone he is right now as they still see him as the guy who was averaging two points per game in his earlier days in the league. With the way things are going inside the Bulls' locker room, it would be interesting to see if they will make some moves or worse, start rebuilding next season.
Here are some highlights of Butler smoking the Boston Celtics in one of their games this season.
