Pippen Ain't Easy
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Jimmy Butler Will Miss 3-4 Weeks; What’s Next for Bulls?

By Michael Whitlow

Feb 5, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) passes the ball away from Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the first quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 5, 2016; Denver, CO, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Jimmy Butler (21) passes the ball away from Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) in the first quarter at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports /
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The injury bug will not let go of the Chicago Bulls. On Tuesday, the Bulls announced that Jimmy Butler would miss the next 3-4 weeks with a left knee issue.

Jimmy Butler is the best player on the Bulls roster.

That’s why the Bulls are in a serious flux at the current moment.

On Tuesday, the Bulls announced that Butler would miss at least the next three weeks with the left knee issue. Butler has had nagging injuries all season seemingly, but this knee issue appears to be a bit more significant.

“Butler has begun rehabbing his injury and he will be allowed to engage in all activities as tolerated with the primary goal of maintaining his conditioning over the ensuing weeks,” the team said in a press release on Tuesday.

You can read the full release on Butler’s injury timeline here:

Losing Butler for an extended period of time is the only way this season could get any worse for the Bulls. After going 2-5 on the recent seven-game road trip, the Bulls sit at 27-24; a game and a half ahead of the ninth-place Charlotte Hornets in the Eastern Conference standings.

(Reminder: The Hornets won three of four meetings this season against the Bulls, so that playoff tiebreaker would not play into the Bulls’ favor at season’s end.)

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Based off the timeline the Bulls gave on Butler (3-4 weeks), Butler would most likely miss the next eight games for the Bulls and return on March 2 against the Orlando Magic.

If it’s closer to four weeks during Butler’s rehab, he could likely return on March 10 against the San Antonio Spurs.

What will the Bulls do in Butler’s absence?

There’s two factors that go into this:

  1. It’s the Bulls and nobody really knows because, well… it’s the Bulls.
  2. If the Bulls look to make a move — which they probably won’t if we’re being honest — what could they really acquire and send away?

The best option for a trade is Pau Gasol.

And that’s about it.

Butler’s obviously untouchable after signing a new $95 million deal, Derrick Rose is a free agent through next season (with a lot of money owed to him) and Joakim Noah is on the shelf for the year with a shoulder injury (and he’s an unrestricted free agent this summer).

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Tony Snell and Doug McDermott have shown next to nothing this season in extended playing time, so those aren’t exactly “trade assets”.

So, that leaves Gasol.

Gasol will also be a free agent (if he chooses to be). When the Bulls signed Gasol before the 2014-15 season, he signed a three-year deal with a player option in the third year (better known as next season).

Earlier in the season, Gasol mentioned that he would look to explore other options outside of Chicago. If Gasol is curious about getting one more payday before retirement, why wouldn’t the Bulls look to get something in return?

The Bulls are going nowhere fast and aren’t even treading water at this point. They’re just a bad (and seemingly dysfunctional) basketball team right now. It’s clear that the Bulls need to shake things up.

Next: Pau Gasol Will Likely Play Elsewhere Next Season

Butler’s latest injury just throws another wrench in a disappointing campaign that showed promise at times.

Right now, the Bulls are clinging to a playoff spot with a couple young franchises behind them (Charlotte and the Detroit Pistons) and look nothing like a team that can do anything in the postseason.

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