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One of the stars that was constantly included in a lot of trade chatter before last month's deadline was Jimmy Butler. Although the Boston Celtics emerged as the favorites to land him, nothing materialized, and he is still in a Chicago Bulls jersey.
However, according to Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer, he might still be on his way out as a league executive thinks he is as “good as gone” from the Windy City this summer.
“Paul George and Jimmy Butler were involved in trade rumors at the deadline, and all indications are that those conversations will resume this offseason. One front-office source told me recently that Butler is “as good as gone,” while George sounds like a player who wants out.”
The Bulls' front office are expected to have a very busy summer as a number of their key players are slated to become free agents, and will explore the market like Nikola Mirotic, Michael Carter-Williams, and Anthony Morrow. Dwyane Wade on the other hand might elect to waive the final year of his contract and listen to potential offers, which may leave them with only Rajon Rondo and Robin Lopez as the only starters who could remain with the team.
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That being said, Butler will become a strong candidate to be dealt should their free agents decide to sign elsewhere. The Bulls might ultimately decide to completely revamp their roster and rebuild with new players instead. The three-time All-Star should generate a lot of interest from around the league and the team could get a haul of young assets in return for his services, which they could use as part of their future plans.
He is regarded as one of the best shooting guards in the league today and has also proven this season that he can thrive at the small forward position, adding more value to himself. Many teams could take advantage of his versatility and bolster their lineup with his addition.
The situation in Chicago is definitely something worth keeping an eye on and it will be very interesting to see what direction their management will decide to take on. One thing that's certain is there will be big decisions to make which will define the amount of success they'll have in the next few years.
