Pippen Ain't Easy
Fansided

Report: Kyrie Irving had interest of playing in Chicago with Jimmy Butler before he was traded

By Michael Whitlow

CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 25: Kyrie Irving #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers puts pressure on Jimmy Butler #21 of the Chicago Bulls during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena on February 25, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Bulls defeated the Cavaliers 117-99. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH - FEBRUARY 25: Kyrie Irving #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers puts pressure on Jimmy Butler #21 of the Chicago Bulls during the second half at Quicken Loans Arena on February 25, 2017 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Bulls defeated the Cavaliers 117-99. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images) /
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Friday brought some shocking reports that Kyrie Irving wants out of Cleveland. Believe it or not, those reports had a Bulls-related element to them in the form of Irving wanting to play with Jimmy Butler in Chicago.

It appears that not every NBA player wants to play alongside LeBron James, the best player of this generation. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Irving has asked a trade out of Cleveland, citing that he wants to be more of a “focal point” for a team and doesn’t want to play second fiddle next to James any longer.

A team where Irving could’ve been “more of a focal point”: the Chicago Bulls.

Back in June, Chicago Sun-Times Bulls reporter Joe Cowley mentioned that Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler have a good off-the-floor relationship and that Butler could “push for a trade” to Cleveland to play with Irving and James. (That article ended with Irving in Chicago without either James or Butler, so take that how you want.)

However, there’s still this nugget that surfaced in February and came back around on Friday after the Irving trade rumors dropped.

There’s also this from ESPN New York‘s Ian Begley on one of Kyrie Irving’s preferred destinations, which include the Minnesota Timberwolves — Jimmy Butler’s current team — the Miami Heat, the San Antonio Spurs, the New York Knicks … and if Jimmy Butler was still in Chicago, the Bulls.

NBA.com’s David Aldridge backed up Begley’s report with his own piece on the Irving situation, including details on Irving’s inital request to be traded by the Cavaliers.

"Another league source said that Irving made his initial trade request before last month’s Draft, in hopes of being traded to Chicago and playing with All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler. Just before Griffin and the team decided to part ways, Griffin had been working on a three-team deal that would have brought Butler to the Cavs."

Despite of all of “coulda, shoulda, woulda” for the Bulls and trying to pair Irving and Butler together in Chicago, there’s a glaring factor into this scenario: the Bulls had next to nothing to offer the Cavaliers in a potential deal for Irving.

It would’ve taken not only a miracle for a trade to bring Irving to Chicago, but multiple teams for the Bulls to even have a chance at a “superteam” attempt.

Next: Bulls Blurbs: The Post-Summer League Edition

Basically, you can throw this latest news into the pile with “the Bulls almost had LeBron James and Dwyane Wade on the same team” from seven years ago.

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