On the most recent episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast, former Chicago Bulls star Jimmy Butler spoke on his exit from Chicago.
Last summer, Jimmy Butler was a member of the Chicago Bulls and spoke on the past year in Chicago with Bill Simmons and it was an intriguing listen.
This time around, Butler is now a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves after being traded on the night of the 2017 NBA Draft and appeared on Simmons’ podcast again to discuss his exit and other matters surrounding the Bulls franchise this past season.
Butler spoke on an array of subjects, including what he was doing when he found out he was being traded, what he said to John Paxson and Gar Forman during his exit interview and the Bulls almost taking out Simmons’ favorite team in the first round of the postseason.
Butler was in Paris with Dwyane Wade, his wife Gabrielle Union-Wade and Carmelo Anthony when he was traded to Minnesota
Simmons asked Butler what was going on in his life when the trade went down on draft night between the Bulls and Timberwolves. Butler was in France with Dwayne Wade, Carmelo Anthony and Wade’s wife: actress Gabrielle Union.
"“I was away. I was in Paris the night that it happened. We were playing some cards … me, Melo, Gab, D-Wade … I’m not gonna talk about the outcome of the game because everybody has a different story obviously, but …”Simmons: What does that mean? [laughs]“Some people say that I won. I would say that I won. Other people would say that I won. The other team may say that I lost. I have to deal with it all the time. All I’m gonna say is that I think it was a great game of Spades.And, my agent calls me and said, “I think you’re about to be moved to Minnesota.” I said, “OK, cool. I’m gonna get back to my Spades game” because once again, I can’t really control that. That’s out of my control. Control what I can control.”Simmons: So you’re not checking your Twitter? You’re not checking your replies? You’re not on Reddit or any of these places?“Nope. I’m not doing any of that.”"
Butler continued on and talked about “trying to enjoy life” with Wade, Anthony and Union-Wade in Europe and then dabbled into what the Timberwolves have in place, including his former head coach in Chicago: Tom Thibodeau.
Butler on the rumors before he was actually traded
Simmons asked Butler about the trade rumors before hand about Butler being actually traded and how it would affect Wade and Anthony in their own ways with Wade still being with the Bulls and Anthony looking for a way out of New York with the Knicks.
"“Rumors are always rumors. So it’s kinda like, why really listen to it? Because my name had came up … I was going to Boston. I was going to Cleveland. I was going to Minnesota. I was going here or going there. So it was kinda like, they would ask me, ‘What do you think?’ I don’t know. I don’t really pay attention to it. I hear it because I have enough guys around me that said, ‘Did you see what came out today?’ Well, no … I didn’t see that because I don’t read that.”"
Butler on Wade after he was traded and what lies ahead for Wade in Chicago potentially
"“D-Wade’s a Hall of Famer. He’s gonna be just fine. He’s gonna go out there and compete. I’m not gonna say the outcome of his competition, but he’s gonna go out there and …Simmons: So he didn’t throw a drink, he didn’t knock over a chair or anything?“No, he wasn’t drinking. He was drinking water.”(Simmons cracked a joke about Anthony being traded afterwards.)"
Butler mentioned that he just recently worked out with Anthony and both have developed a good relationship off the floor dating back to their time winning a gold medal with Team USA in Rio during the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Butler on his exit meeting after the Bulls were eliminated
Simmons asked Butler about his exit meeting after the Bulls were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in six games during the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs.
"“Well at that one, it was Pax and Gar and you know, you just talk about everybody’s opinion on certain things, how you think you played, the well-being of the team, what we might need moving forward, so I did that.”Simmons: What’d you tell them?“I said we were OK. I said … a lot of things … about the future … that if I could control it, I would do this, but I can’t. So, I know at the rate I plan to play. And, I want to win. I want guys around me that want to win that give me an opportunity to win a championship because I think that’s why everyone plays this game. I have nothing against anybody on that team or anybody in that organization. But, they were so stuck on not building around me, but maybe, building with me as they would say … or going young. A rebuild. So it was one or the other. I just wanted to know.Was it clear when I left that meeting and what we were gonna do? No. Maybe I was told some things I probably took as, “You might be here.”Simmons: Like what? What’d they tell you?“I mean, I thought I was gonna be there, so I’m not gonna say word-for-word what they said, but when I left there, I did think I was gonna be there. But like I said, it’s a business and it is what it is. My thing is, I mean, hell, Chicago was home for me. Hell, for the first six years of my career. I’m not there anymore and that’s OK.”"
Simmons put himself in Butler’s place and said he would’ve asked GarPax, “What are we doing?” He went on and explained that “we need a plan” and asked Butler if that was fair and Butler agreed that it was. Butler then continued on from Simmons and mentioned that the Bulls were a .500 team and that they weren’t bad, but they weren’t good, while also agreeing that the Bulls could’ve used his new-but-old teammate Taj Gibson in the playoff series against the Celtics.
Butler on if the Bulls were an unhappy team last season
When Simmons asked if the Bulls were “an unhappy team” last season, Butler agreed that it was fair to assess them as such.
"“Everybody wants to win, so it’s so hard when you’re up-and-down, up-and-down, up-and-down. You never know what to expect emotionally or physically for anybody, let alone there was supposed tension between some players and some coaches, and some players and other players.”Simmons: Well, hold on, though. ‘Cause it seemed, it seemed strange when Rondo wasn’t playing more when they tried six other point guards. And then Rondo would come in and then you guys could run the offense it was kinda meant to be run and then it was a steady revolving …“If I could tell you why or how, I would. But I don’t control the substitutions, I don’t control anybody’s playing time. I can only know what I would want to happen. But I don’t do that, so it’s kinda like, at the same time, my opinion is heard, but at the same time, it probably wasn’t.”"
Butler on stuff that “trickled out” about the Bulls last season
"“Everybody always has something to say. But if you’re winning, it doesn’t matter. It’s all swept under the rug. Now when you’re losing, you’re mediocre, you’re irrelevant, you’re in the middle of the pack. You know, somebody’s gotta take the blame. I’m cool with that.”Simmons: But you’re not a guy who’s like, going into the locker room and whispering to beat reporters, like, throwing guys under the bus. It seems like you just keep to yourself, right?“Or I’ll say it.”Simmons: Or you’ll say it right to somebody’s face, yeah.“Or I’ll say it to you, as in the media, I will say it to you, which has gotten me in trouble multiple times. But if you catch me in the heat of the moment when I’m mad, that’s just me.”"
You can listen to the rest of the podcast with Butler and Simmons here.
Next: Antonio Blakeney was the lone bright spot for the SummerBulls in Las Vegas
Butler talked about free agency, along with some Timberwolves-related things such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Tom Thibodeau, and his return as a Timberwolf for the first time next season.