Chicago Bulls: 4 players who were traded too early

4. Jimmy Butler, Small Forward

Entering the 2019-20 season, former Bulls star small forward Jimmy Butler was getting in position to potentially contend for his first MVP honors. He landed in a great situation with the Miami Heat. “Jimmy G. Buckets” was in an advantageous situation possibly to contend for a title last year with the Philadelphia 76ers, but that run fell short to the Toronto Raptors in the second round of the playoffs.

Butler signed a max contract with the Heat in free agency last offseason, putting him in a scenario that fits his personality well in South Beach. While he likely won’t finish in the top three in the MVP voting this year, he was a dark horse in the race for that award for much of the season until the COVID-19-induced hiatus.

Before the hiatus, Butler played in 54 games for the Heat. He averaged 20.2 points per game, 6.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.7 steals, and 0.5 blocks. Butler shot 45.4 percent from the field, 24.8 percent from beyond the arc, and 83.3 percent from the free-throw line. That amounted to a solid 58.3 true shooting percentage and a 5.2 box plus/minus rating.

Back during the 2017 offseason, the Bulls jumped ship on the idea of building around Butler. There were profound differences between what management was looking to do and where Butler was headed. But they dished him out for a return that has not paid off to date, with shooting guard Zach LaVine, point guard Kris Dunn, and power forward Lauri Markkanen.