Hardwood Houdini
Fansided

Bulls Drama Should Drive Jimmy Butler’s Price Down

By Michael James

Mar 12, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) dishes a pass past Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) during the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 12, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) dishes a pass past Boston Celtics forward Jae Crowder (99) during the second quarter at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Bulls’ nightmare season might drive the asking price for Jimmy Butler down.

Dwyane Wade is reportedly out for the season due to an elbow fracture, as the Bulls playoff hopes are dwindling by the day. Chicago has gone 3-7 in its last ten games, and while only a game out of the eighth seed in the east, it looks bleak for the Bulls.

There were talks between the Celtics and Bulls about Boston acquiring Jimmy Butler, but the price was too great for Danny Ainge to meet. The drama that has surrounded Chicago all season could very well mean that the price on Butler will come down to where the Celtics will pull the trigger on a deal.

More from Celtics News

The Bulls made a number of questionable moved since the end of last season. They signed former Celtic Rajon Rondo, in hopes that his veteran leadership and distributing abilities would be a better fit next to Butler than Derrick Rose’s score-first mentality. That hasn’t entirely worked out, as Rondo criticized Wade and Butler for not taking responsibility for the team’s poor play, but instead blaming it on everyone else.

Then, after a long saga with Pat Riley, Wade decided to turn down Miami’s contract offer and sign with his home town team in Chicago. The Bulls did not expect Wade to be available, but they went away from their offseason plan to sign Wade to $25 million per year. That contract has an opt out clause after this season, so Chicago has a chance to get out of it. However, it wasn’t the best move by the Bulls.

The season had its ups and downs, but the Bulls were still in playoff contention at the trade deadline. They decided then, that it was a good idea to trade away their best rebounder in Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott for Cameron Payne, Anthony Morrow and Joffrey Lauvergne.

Mar 15, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Troy Daniels (30) defends Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) during the second half at the United Center. The Grizzlies won 98-91. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 15, 2017; Chicago, IL, USA; Memphis Grizzlies guard Troy Daniels (30) defends Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) during the second half at the United Center. The Grizzlies won 98-91. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-USA TODAY Sports /

This was a questionable move because it seemed like a move they would make if they traded away Butler, therefore starting over. The Bulls did not trade away Butler, but gave Oklahoma City a core piece to their playoff hopes. This is most likely the cause of Chicago’s recent slide.

For Butler, the Bulls most likely wanted a package centered around Avery Bradley and one of the Nets’ first round picks. There was reports that Jae Crowder was a “sticking point” that prevented a deal from getting done, so they probably wanted all three for Butler.

After this nightmare of a season, Chicago’s front office might get overhauled, leading to a drop in price depending on the new regime. Butler is a great player on a really good contract, making around $18 million a year until 2019 where he has a player option to become an unrestricted free agent a year before his deal is up.

Next: Al Horford is a Consistent Triple Double Threat

This kind of situation would help the Celtics get over the hump that is the Cavaliers, and build towards the future if they are able to keep the Nets’ pick this season. Once draft night is here, don’t be surprised if Danny Ainge fleeces another team for a great player. This time, it will be the move everyone has been waiting for.

Home/Celtics News