Step-by-Step: A Chicago Bulls tanking guide

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Nov 06, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls small forward Jimmy Butler (21) during pre game warm ups against the Orlando Magic at the United Center. (Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports) /

Trade Jimmy

This is the ultimate sign that Chicago is giving up for now. The trade of the franchise player, the star wing on the very team-friendly deal for the next couple of years.

Butler is a special guy, not the kind of player you just trade because you can.

It would take an awful lot to move Butler, the kind of offer that only a few teams in the league could make. And he’s an attractive acquisition for those teams because he still has multiple years of team control on a deal that is well below his market value.

All of these reasons that teams would want to trade for Jimmy, also double as reasons why the Bulls shouldn’t trade him.

Let me refresh you, quickly. In a step-by-step process, we have already relived Chicago of Gibson, Rondo, Lopez, Forman, Paxson, and assured that at the very least, Wade won’t be returning for a second year in town. If the Bulls can move at least Gibson and Lopez, waiving Rondo, it’s enough to get to this step. They don’t need to wait for Wade to opt out and they don’t have to dump Forman or Paxson to get to this step. However, they should explore the possibility of replacing management long and hard before moving Butler.

Butler would be wanted by every team in the league. Chicago would have their pick of suitors and if those teams were willing to make a fair trade, it would put them right back in the mix.

The only place that I’m looking is Boston. If Danny Ainge wants to stop “winning trades” just long enough to find himself that last piece they need to battle with LeBron and the Cavs, look no further. A lineup of Isaiah Thomas-Butler-Crowder-Horford-Olynyk is something. Bare minimum, they make life very uncomfortable for Cleveland.

It will cost the Celtics. If they want to compete while Horford is still putting up great numbers and capitalize on the Thomas hot streak, they’ll have to splash it out. Avery Bradley, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown and the 2017 Brooklyn Nets unprotected pick have to come over in the deal. Even at that trade, Boston is still winning because they get their guy who can put them in the same conversation with the Cavs as best in the East. Without him, they remain just another also ran.

There’s a lot of moving pieces here. A lot of things would have to happen for this to become a reality. It’s almost completely impossible for all of these things to happen. However, if they did, Chicago would be set to return to contention much faster than your average tanking team.

They would receive a first-round pick, several second-round picks, and at least one mid-tier prospects or bench guy from Lopez and Gibson moves. They would be able to cut ties with Rondo, either at cost to themselves or in exchange for an expiring deal or even more second-round picks, depending on the trade partner.

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They would guarantee that Wade would not be back next year, freeing up well over $20 million in salary, and they would have the money to sign Cristiano Felicio to a long-term deal, matching any restricted free agent offers he will receive.

They also get Bradley, Smart and Brown. All three figure to be starters for the 2017-18 version of the tanking Bulls. Figure in Felicio, McDermott, Valentine, Portis, Jerian Grant, and Paul Zipser in that mix and you have a team much more suited to the preferences of Hoiberg, who the team presumably keeps because of the large amount of money they own him.

And then the final piece – the 2017 Nets draft pick. That could be Markelle Fultz, it could be Lonzo Ball, it could be Dennis Smith. It really doesn’t matter. The Bulls would take any of those players if they were given the opportunity. Add any of those players to a young group like the one I mentioned above and you have a team that could likely play close to .500 ball next year and then continue to have cap space to chase the free agents that always get away.

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