Trade rumors regarding Jimmy Butler have been swirling pretty much non-stop since last summer's NBA Draft, and now, ahead of the 2017 NBA Draft in a few months, we have the latest update. This time, courtesy of Bulls executive John Paxson.
During an interview Thursday morning with ESPN 1000 in Chicago, Paxson said the Bulls are not looking to trade their All-Star forward, who almost singlehandedly dragged the Bulls to the playoffs this season.
"We are not looking to trade Jimmy Butler" - John Paxson on @ESPN1000
— Chris Bleck (@chrisbleck) May 4, 2017
Just a day before, however, during a press conference on Wednesday, Paxson said that everything was on the table regarding Butler.
Pax says they plan to sit down with Jimmy Butler again to discuss his future. Says everything’s on the table. “That’s not for today."
— Sean Highkin (@highkin) May 3, 2017
What is likely the case, as Bulls beat writer K.C. Johnson surmised Wednesday, is that the Bulls are indeed not looking to trade Butler, but would be open to a potential deal, if they could get the right combination of draft picks and replacement players.
After the NBA Draft Lottery in a few weeks, we'll likely have a clearer picture of the situation with Butler, but even then, this conversation will likely continue in circles until the night of the draft.
