NBA trade rumors 2017: Will the Chicago Bulls trade away Jimmy Butler?
With point guard Derrick Rose transferring to the New York Knick's last summer, Jimmy Butler quickly became the face of the Chicago Bulls. Deemed as one of the best players in the whole NBA roster, there are those who argue that Butler would be a great candidate for the next MVP.
However, even with Butler around, the Bulls' current standing is still less than desired. Hence, rumors now circulate that the team may decide to unload Butler to make way for better draft picks and younger assets.
According to a report by Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report, their sources have claimed that the Bulls were indeed shopping Butler, alleging that Butler's 52-point game may not be enough reason for the Chicago team to keep him for much longer.
A 52-point game may not be enough to keep this star guard in Chicago for long, sources tell @RicBucher https://t.co/QPdau6O38K pic.twitter.com/qv4hRYYDiI
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 5, 2017
Many were surprised when rumors of Butler's possible transfer to another team had surfaced, considering his exceptional performance on the court recently. In fact, the latest report from Marc Stein of ESPN suggests that the Bulls have no interest in trading Butler away.
"Sources with knowledge of the Bulls' thinking emphatically deny the notion that All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler is available," Stein mentioned in his report.
"Given all the chaos enveloping the Bulls lately, with considerable doubt bubbling about how much longer Rajon Rondo ‎will stick around Chicago, hanging onto one of the game's best two-way players seems prudent," he added.
In addition to Stein's report, Butler himself hinted that he had no plans at the moment to move to another team. After their game against the Toronto Raptors on Saturday, Jan. 7, Butler told reporters that he does not want to let his teammates and the city of Chicago down.
"I love what I do; I don't want to let this organization down, my teammates, the city, I live for this; this is what I wake up for," Butler said, as shared by Bull.com's Sam Smith on Twitter.
Butler: "I love what I do; I don't want to let this organization down, my teammates, the city, I live for this; this is what I wake up for." — Sam Smith (@SamSmithHoops) January 8, 2017
With contrasting reports about Butler's rumored trade, fans will just have to wait and see what the Chicago Bulls will actually do. The on-going NBA trading period concludes on Feb. 23 at 3 p.m. E.T.