5 lottery teams that should be calling the Chicago Bulls about Jimmy Butler
By Trey Daubert
Jimmy Butler’s days in Chicago could be numbered. With the Draft Lottery over the pick order locked in, what teams should be calling the Bulls to land Jimmy Butler this offseason?
The Chicago Bulls are stuck in NBA purgatory. You can make the argument that being the No. 8 seed in any conference is the worst place for a team to be. In this instance, the Bulls missed out on the opportunity of a top draft pick and clearly don’t have the personnel for a championship contender.
The dysfunctional Bulls have to consider starting over and dealing their best player, Jimmy Butler. The ceiling of a trio including Jimmy Butler, Rajon Rondo, and Dwyane Wade isn’t moving the needle in the East. After the conclusion of the NBA Draft Lottery, Chicago can crystalize what a potential Butler trade could look like. What five lottery teams should be calling the Bulls in an attempt to pry Butler from Chicago?
5. Boston Celtics
Why are the Celtics fifth on the list? Boston’s first priority this offseason should be convincing Gordon Hayward to sign with them in free agency. Why would Boston give up valuable assets when they could get Hayward for nothing more than cap space? Keeping all of those assets would allow the Celtics to retain most of the dominant bench that has been crucial in their playoff run. If Hayward decides to pass on the Celtics, Butler should only then be a contingency plan.
For as good as Jimmy Butler is, the Celtics would be crazy to give up the first overall pick for him. LeBron James isn’t going anywhere. The Celtics are almost better off waiting out his dominance so loading up on young talent only makes sense. Markelle Fultz is the only sure thing in the draft and can’t pass on adding an 18-year with All-Star potential. Think about it, even if you insert Jimmy Butler on the Celtics roster for nothing, they still aren’t better than the Cavs. Now when Markelle Fultz, Jaylen Brown, and others develop, that is their best chance to dethrone Cleveland in the Eastern Conference.
Now if Danny Ainge can fleece the Bulls for 20 cents on the dollar, that’s a different story. Could a package of Jae Crowder, Terry Rozier, and a future protected pick be enough? Probably not but Danny Ainge is known for ripping teams off, which is how they ended up with the No. 1 pick in the first place.