Bulls give Butler a maximum offer of $90M over 5 years
The Bulls are faced with a simple job in free-agency this summer: Hang onto all-star guard Jimmy Butler.
The task shouldn't be difficult since Butler is a restricted free agent and NBA rules favor a player staying with his current team in those circumstances.
The Bulls officially went all in on Butler by offering a maximum qualifying offer worth roughly $90 million over five years, team sources confirmed. Espn.com reported Butler then postponed planned visits with the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston, Dallas and Philadelphia.
No team can offer Butler as much as the Bulls just did and if he does sign an offer sheet with another team, the Bulls can match it.
Butler still has several options and they all include playing for the Bulls next season. At one extreme, he could sign the one-year qualifying offer worth $4.4 million and become an unrestricted free agent next season.
Players do this occasionally if they don't like the offer from their current team. See Ben Gordon in 2008 or Detroit's Greg Monroe last year as examples. Turning down $90 million guaranteed in favor of $4.4 million wouldn't seem to be a smart business decision for Butler.
Butler can accept the five-year, $90-million offer from the Bulls, but there has been talk about the league's Most Improved Player seeking for a shorter deal, with perhaps an opt out after the third season. This would give Butler more flexibility for the future and allow him to take advantage of the league's rising salary cap. Shorter deals might be a trend this summer in the NBA.
Butler can still go out and sign an offer sheet from another team, but because the Bulls made a maximum qualifying offer, any deal from another team, by rule, has to be at least three years in length, not including option years or early termination.
So even if Butler did sign an offer sheet with another team, the Bulls would match and he'd be tied to Chicago for another three years. That's why he probably won't bother meeting with other teams.
The most likely scenarios are Butler signing the five-year deal or the Bulls accommodating a request for an opt-out after three seasons. Either way, Butler stays with the Bulls.
What about rumors Butler doesn't get along with Derrick Rose and is infatuated with playing for the Lakers? Well, there's not much Butler can do to switch teams besides accepting the $4.4 million qualifying offer, if he does prefer a different home.
Team sources maintain there's nothing to the rumors Butler doesn't like Rose or believes they can't play together. Butler just had an all-star season, averaging a career-high 20.0 points, while playing next to Rose for the majority of the season. So that part doesn't make sense.
The Bulls have had Rose's back throughout his three knee surgeries, but like everyone else in the city, heads were shaking in the locker room after Rose's strange comments last season about sitting out of games so he's not limping into business meetings later in life. Actions speak louder than words, but with Butler leading the league in minutes played and Joakim Noah struggling with a sore knee all season, Rose's comments were out of place.
That didn't create a rift, though. More likely, Butler is simply unsure about committing to the franchise. Three years from now, the Bulls could conceivably be in rebuilding mode. Butler also just watched his only professional coach, Tom Thibodeau, pushed out the door. Assistant Adrian Griffin, a valuable mentor to Butler, also left the team.
A few days ago, there was social media evidence of Butler dining with Thibodeau at Gibson's Steakhouse.
Maybe Butler will enjoy playing for new coach Fred Hoiberg and Pete Myers will pick up where Griffin left off. There will still be decisions to make. Now that Butler is the Bulls' leading scorer, should be get the ball at the end of a close game instead of Rose? Hoiberg will have to figure that one out, but the general plan is more shots for everyone will create happy players in the new fast-paced offense.
General manager Gar Forman mentioned Monday the Bulls want to re-sign Mike Dunleavy and there were reports Tuesday the Cavaliers will pursue the veteran forward, at LeBron James' request.
Dunleavy, 34, is interested in returning to the Bulls. Considering the competition, the Bulls will probably need to offer a slight bump in salary from the $3 million he received last season and include a second guaranteed season.
If the Bulls re-sign Butler and Dunleavy, they'll have 11 players under contract, plus options on E'Twaun Moore and Cameron Bairstow. They will probably look for a backup point guard, if Aaron Brooks is not re-signed. There was one report the Bulls have interest in Rockets guard and Chicago native Patrick Beverly.
Around the league, there are some significant free agents that will consider changing teams, including Portland's LaMarcus Aldridge, Clippers center DeAndre Jordan, Atlanta's Paul Millsap and Cleveland's Kevin Love.
Two years ago, Aldridge asked to be traded to the Bulls. It's possible the Bulls could try to get involved in a sign-and-trade for Aldridge, but that scenario appears quiet for now.
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