The Chicago Bulls haven’t sounded like a team willing to trade star guard Jimmy Butler.
Still, this hasn’t stopped the Boston Celtics from trying. And the Bulls, at least, are willing to play ball by naming what it would cost to rip Butler away.
Turner Sports’ David Aldridge provided the report, according to Brian Robb of 98.5 The Sports Hub:
Full comments from @daldridgetnt on @NBATV on inclusion of Jae Crowder being a potential sticking point in Jimmy Butler negotiations pic.twitter.com/J6npmh5bqk
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) February 22, 2017
This isn’t much of a shocker, though hearing Jae Crowder’s name come up is interesting. He’s a 26-year-old forward averaging 13.8 points per game and is a key part of what has the Celtics contending for the top slot in the Eastern Conference in the first place.
Before, we hadn’t had much in the way of a name when it came to what the Bulls wanted. Crowder meshes with what CSNNE’s A. Sherrod Blakely detailed, though:
While the Bulls haven’t set any specific parameters, league executives believe they are seeking some combination of high draft picks and young veterans (players with experience who are either near the end of their rookie deals or have team-friendly contracts) just to consider moving Butler.
The Celtics had to know it would take a serious sacrifice to get Butler. A move likely makes the Celtics better in the long run, but it ruins what the team has going right now. Simply throwing draft picks at the problem won’t work because that doesn’t help the Bulls bridge the gap right away.
This makes it sound like a trade still won’t happen, though we at least now know what the Bulls want.
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