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Jimmy Butler's exit from the Chicago Bulls during the summer of 2017 may not have been on a good note, but he will always have fond memories of the Windy City, telling K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune that it is “still home” and that he “loves it” in the city.
Jimmy Butler: “This is still home. I love it here.”
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) March 7, 2019
The Bulls traded Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves on draft night in 2017, as it was clear that Chicago was entering a rebuilding phase and Butler didn't seem too keen on remaining with the team to begin with.
In return, the Bulls received guards Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn and a draft pick that turned out to be big man Lauri Markkanen.
Of course, Butler's stay in Minnesota was very brief, as he demanded a trade this past offseason and began the campaign awkwardly with the Timberwolves before being dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers in November.
On Wednesday night, Butler will return to Chicago, as the Sixers get set to battle the Bulls.
The 29-year-old, who played his collegiate basketball at Marquette University, was originally selected by Chicago in the first round (30th pick overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft.
He played in 42 games during his lockout-shortened rookie campaign but made minimal impact, averaging just 2.6 points per game. The following year, Butler's role began to expand, and he obliged by registering 8.6 points and four rebounds a night.
By his fourth year in the league, Butler was a 20-point-per-game scorer and an All-Star, and he proceeded to make the All-Star team in each of his final three seasons in with the Bulls before being dealt to Minnesota.
