It’s Not That the Bulls Wouldn’t Trade Jimmy Butler, It’s That They Can’t

It’s not that the Chicago Bulls wouldn’t trade Jimmy Butler. They could to a number of willing suitors across the NBA. It’s just that they can’t — in large part due to Butler’s value in a potential trade.

A month ago, I wrote on why the Chicago Bulls shouldn’t trade Jimmy Butler over the summer.

In this piece, I explain why the Bulls not only won’t trade Jimmy Butler, but the main reason why they can’t.

On Monday night, before Game 5 of the 2016 NBA Finals, ESPN NBA insider Marc Stein tweeted this nugget out to send the NBA universe (and fans of a certain team in Chicago) into a frenzy:

You’re not slick, Tom Thibodeau. (Welcome back to the game, though.)

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Personally, the first thing that ran through my head when Stein tweeted this out was, “Ha! Thibs, you sly son of a…” (I can’t say the rest, but you know where I’m going with this.)

The second thing that ran through my head was, “If the Bulls are considering doing this, they have to get the No. 5 pick for their Kris Dunn vision and Andrew Wiggins back at the very least.”

Here’s the thing with all of that: The Bulls aren’t giving up Butler for any less than those two things and there’s a slim-to-none chance that the Timberwolves give up their prized No. 1 pick they got in the Kevin Love trade.

My co-editor here at PAE Daniel Coughlin already explained the process of the deal. Where there’s smoke, they’re miiight be fire. This could all be just a juicy pre-draft rumor or this could change the landscape of the Bulls moving forward.

To give it a realistic look, the Bulls can’t trade Jimmy Butler.

I mean, they could.

They really could.

But, are you going to get back enough for a two-time All-Star, a Most Improved Player award winner and one of the 20 best players in the entire NBA?

The deal doesn’t (and shouldn’t) become real unless Wiggins is on the table for the Bulls to acquire. Although Thibodeau is as stubborn as they come and wants to win right away, the Wolves have time. There’s no need to rush this “process” (that’s better than the one in Philadelphia).

A deal that doesn’t include Wiggins (and future picks) shouldn’t even be considered if you’re the Bulls, despite the talent of guys like Gorgui Dieng, Zach LaVine and Shabazz Muhammad.

As for other teams like the Boston Celtics, who have been interested in Butler since before February’s trade deadline, I’ll let Your Friendly Bulls Blogger spell that one out for you:

(The linked tweet from Blog a Bull’s Chris Terzic says, “It has come to my attention that, once again, people have no idea how good Jimmy Butler is.”)

Boston has the picks, but not the assets to do a strong enough deal for a player like Butler. The Orlando Magic have future picks and an asset or two, but not like the first-rounders Boston has.

It’s not ideal, but it’s not completely out of the picture to see Jimmy Butler in a new uniform next season.

Next: If they could afford him, could Jeremy Lin work in Chicago?

The issues with that are that Gar Forman would actually have to get on the phone with Thibodeau and new Timbewolves general manager Scott Layden.

That’s a hilarious thought that I can’t stop thinking about.

And, unless the Bulls are in complete control of the situation and win the deal outright, there’s no chance in hell of a deal getting done for their lone trade asset with any particular sense of value.