5 reasons why the Bulls need to trade Jimmy Butler right now
By Connor Learn
4. There is no reason to expect the Bulls to contend soon
As we sit at the All-Star break, Chicago is sitting below .500. They are 28-29 and sitting in seventh place in the Eastern Conference Standings. The Bulls are a flawed team that often struggles to space the floor and play consistent winning basketball. They are alive for a playoff spot and may very well secure one, but Bulls fans don’t get excited over low seeds and first round playoff exits. The expectations, and goals, should be higher.
Looking ahead past this season, and it’s hard to see how the Bulls would build around Jimmy Butler and improve. 35-year-old Dwyane Wade’s play has regressed; he recently was passed over as an All-Star for the first time since his rookie season. It is fair to assume that he could regress even more next season as he continues to age. Power forwards Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic are pending free agents and may not be retained. If Chicago doesn’t opt to keep Rajon Rondo, he will be gone as well.
Assuming that Gibson, Mirotic, and Rondo walk, Chicago will have roughly $28 million to spend this offseason with a number of holes to fill. Young players like Michael Carter-Williams, Doug McDermott, Jerian Grant, Bobby Portis, and Denzel Valentine have been inconsistent at best, and relying on them as building pieces moving forward is a risky proposition. Assuming GM Gar Forman thinks his team is set at center with Robin Lopez and Cristiano Felicio, there are still holes. The Bulls will hit this summer questions to answer and not enough assets or cash to answer them. They need a point guard, power forward to pair with Portis, and a scoring wing to spell Wade with. If the Bulls move forward with the same team, regression is more likely than progression.