Like sharks smelling blood, teams are circling the Bulls, ready to feast on the leaguewide perception that Jimmy Butler is available for the right price.
In that sense, nothing has changed for the Bulls. But in another, much has from last June, when the Bulls couldn’t reach organizational consensus on whether to opt for a full rebuild and trade Butler for the right price.
In a dizzying span of eight minutes Monday afternoon, three separate rumors centered on Butler emerged. The biggest, from an ESPN.com report that the Tribune confirmed, was that the Cavaliers had worked to find a third team with attractive enough assets to offer the Bulls and consummate a deal that would land Butler alongside LeBron James in Cleveland.
According to two league sources, one team the Cavs approached to try to engage in these discussions was the Suns, who own the fourth pick in Thursday’s draft.
The Butler situation commanded enough attention for the Bulls to hold an internal meeting on his future, sources said. And unlike last June, the organization appears aligned on its Butler stance — that it would move the three-time All-Star but only if its rightfully high asking price is met.
Management has made clear at multiple junctures that it’s not looking to move Butler but must listen to all offers for him out of due diligence. Such is the nature of being stuck in the NBA middle with few assets.
Last June, that asking price centered on at least three assets — and four in some exchanged proposals with the Celtics. Butler’s stature only has improved since then as he made the All-NBA third team, his first such distinction, after a career year.
The Vertical reported that the Timberwolves, whose president happens to be former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, made preliminary contact regarding a Butler deal. The Tribune couldn’t independently confirm that, with one source insisting the Timberwolves would wait until closer to the draft to do so.
Regardless, it’s clear the Butler rumors aren’t going away this week, even if, to this point, they haven’t included the Celtics.
Adding intrigue to the situation is the news that broke late Monday that the Cavaliers and general manager David Griffin are parting ways after three straight trips to the NBA Finals. That’s the same Griffin who spent Monday working the phones on a potential Butler trade.
Also out is Trent Redden, Griffin’s senior vice president of basketball operations. The Vertical reported that former All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups is Cavs owner Dan Gilbert’s top choice to take over as president of basketball operations.
The news seemingly is a major impediment to the Cavs’ bid to land Butler, which one source described as “a long shot” anyway. In one scenario, the source said, the Cavs were trying to entice the Suns to take on Kevin Love and send assets to the Bulls.
If the Bulls did move into the top five of the draft via a Butler trade or some other unknown scenario, one source said they’ve done recent work on Kentucky point guard De’Aaron Fox.