NBA Trade Rumors: Lakers, Knicks intersted in Jimmy Butler

By Josh Hill | Feb 14, 2015

Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) dunks the ball during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic at Amway Center. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports /

The Chicago Bulls are hoping to hang onto Jimmy Butler but they won’t have an easy time at that thanks to the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Lakers.

It hasn’t been an easy year for the Chicago Bulls, and that’s saying a lot considering they’re still in contention for a Top-3 seed in the Eastern Conference this postseason. They have heat from the Cleveland Cavaliers, but most of the fire is burning within their own building and their own people.

More from Chicago Bulls

At the heart of the matter seems to be the struggle between the front office and head coach Tom Thibodeau over control of the team’s future. One of those major struggles involves the future of Jimmy Butler, a player who is on the rise as a star but wasn’t extended by the Bulls thanks to penny pinching in the front office.

Despite the fact that the Bulls have been penny pinching over the years — which has claimed the likes of the Bench Mob and other championship pieces of the team — that has all resulted in the team avoiding the repeater tax.

According to Alex Kennedy from Basketball Insiders, both the Lakers and the Knicks could make plays at Jimmy Butler once he hits restricted free agency. A trade offer will probably come in, but the Bulls won’t be trading Butler away before the deadline.

It’s probably not a matter of if but when either of those two teams make dueling plays at Butler — among many other teams. The Bulls were absolutely foolish to let the extension deadline pass without giving a new deal to Butler and they’re going to pay dearly for it in more than one way.

There is a ton of drama at the top of the Bulls organization as the front office is feuding with Tom Thibodeau, Derrick Rose is unhappy with the struggles and the team is allergic to paying the luxury tax even if it means aborting championship aspirations.

This is a situation similar to one in which they lost Omer Asik a few years ago to the Houston Rockets. Asik never really panned out as a superstar talent, but Butler is on the next level and is proving himself to be a max contract player.

That’s the offers he’s going to get when his free agent status kicks in and it will be up to the Bulls to either match those max offers from New York and L.A., or risk self destruction over losing an All-Star superstar on the rise over petty fiscal conservation.

More from FanSided

Home/Chicago Bulls