Chicago Bulls Rumors: Jimmy Butler…Will We Need Him?

Apr 2, 2014; Atlanta, GA, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) shoots a three over Atlanta Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll (5) in the first half at Philips Arena. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome Pippen Peoples to another episode of Chicago Bulls rumors. Here at Pippen Ain’t Easy, we’ll break down the rumors and leave the debate to the knowledgeable Bulls fans that grace this website.

Pippen Ain’t Easy has discussed recent Chicago Bulls rumors for the last couple of weeks. We have dealt with Elton Brand, Leandro Barbosa, E’Twaun Moore and  Jordan Crawford. The Pippen Peoples have been passionate on this subject. So much so that we here at  Pippen Ain’t Easy got a request from brother Jorge asking us on who should have the 13th and final mandatory spot on the roster. Now we are going to go in a different direction.

Let’s take a Michael J. Fox, “Back to The Future” feel to debate the next move the  Chicago Bulls have to make next summer concerning Jimmy Butler. Now that his rookie contract is ready to expire, the Bulls have to figure out how much money they have to put in Jimmy’s Buckets.

The Chicago Bulls struck gold when they drafted Jimmy Butler with the 30th pick of the 2011 draft from Marquette after celebrating having the best record the year before. The one thing the Chicago Bulls have done recently is draft very well and Butler is no different. Now fast forward four years and he will soon be up for a  big payday.

Check out what Chuck Myron of Hoop Rumors said about the kind of contract Jimmy Buckets could get from the Bulls.

"as I surmised last month when I predicted that the Bulls and the Happy Walters client would come to terms on  a four-year $42 MM extension. That’s $9MM more than Gibson saw, but there’d still be a decent chance that it would end up a relative bargain for the Bulls, particularly if the deal is backloaded."

Ah the power of the free agent market. Thanks to what Chandler Parsons and Gordon Hayward got cashing in on their contracts, Happy Walters will probably bring Gar Forman and John Paxson Xeroxed copies of their contracts to represent the minimum of what his client wants. But these two players went two different roads to get what they wanted. Let’s go in-depth in their respective  situations.

Gordon Hayward

When Gordon Hayward was up for a new contract, the Charlotte Hornets offered Hayward the max deal of four years at $63 million dollars. The Utah Jazz matched the offer and kept Hayward. Based on the value of the contract and what I’ve seen of Hayward, I believe that Michael Jordan should have a Christmas present under the tree from the Heyward family for the next twenty years because Hayward is not worthy at this point of his career of a max contract.

Chandler Parsons

When Chandler Parsons was up for his new  contract, the Dallas Mavericks offered Parsons a three-year contract worth $46 million dollars. Smart money thought that the Rockets would easily match the deal and life in NBA free agency would go on. Well Daryl Morey and the Houston Rockets shocked the NBA universe by letting him walk and replacing him with Trevor Ariza. Umm…the jury is out on that move but Morey is one of the best general managers in the league right now. He has a plan.

These are two possible scenarios the Bulls will face next summer when it is time to  deal with Jimmy Butler’s new contract. Now the questions that face the Bulls are as follows…

1) Is Jimmy Butler good enough to warrant the money that he will undoubtedly ask for?

2) How will the Bulls pay Butler without annoying Jerry Reinsdorf with the dreaded luxury tax?

Chuck Myron of Hoops Rumors breaks down what the Chicago Bulls face on the financial front.

"Chicago already has about $58.6 MM in commitments for 2015-16 and $43.8 MM going forward so creating enough wiggle room as possible beneath the tax threshold will be important as the team attempts to contend in the next few years."

Stats wise, this is what the Bulls have to consider. Butler averaged 13.1 points , 4.9 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals per game while taking the defensive load after Deng was traded. Here’s where things get murky. Butler took a couple of steps back in the shooting department. The problem seems that he  keeps taking those steps to the three-point line. He only shot 39.7% from the field while building shelters with all the bricks he put up be hind the arc. 28.3% last year from the land of three is a sign that for the time being, Jimmy Butler can’t shoot.

In Jimmy Butler’s defense, his shooting dropped because he was a top candidate of the “Thibby” plan which means players are on the floor for obscene amounts of time. I think after Butler went for over 60 minutes against the Orlando Magic last year, sea legs set in. I mean who could have the legs to even finish the season, much less shoot?

Another issue that has to be looked at is how Jimmy Butler meshes with Derrick Rose. I was shocked to find out these two players have spent a grand total of 273 minutes on the floor in their careers. Will Butler’s efficiency go up with more time with Rose and more bodies on the bench? That’s the $42 million dollar question.

I think we all know that Jimmy Butler can play defense. That alone will have suitors out there wanting Butler’s services. It was rumored that Minnesota did want Jimmy Butler in the package to make a run at Kevin Love. But is it considered a risk paying ten million dollars a year for a player that averages 8.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.1 steals throughout a three year career.

I may be biased in saying yes because I love watching Jimmy Butler play. But it is a risk with a lot of questions that need to answered this season on the offensive end. But Thibodeau is all about defense anyway so more than likely Butler will have his contract. The question is…from which team?

Well Pippen Peoples, it’s time to debate on future Chicago Bulls rumors. Does Jimmy Butler deserve $10 million a year based on what he has accomplished in his career? Leave your comment below and get on Facebook and let your voice be heard.

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