The Chicago Bulls appear to be on the verge of letting go Jimmy Butler. Following an extremely disappointing NBA playoffs 2016 run, the Joakim Noah squad now reportedly wants nothing to do with the star. With NBA trade talks seemingly on the way for Butler, the Chicago Bulls are now expected to once again hail Derrick Rose as the basketball squad's leader. However, is the change of heart of the front office too late to convince the likes of Pau Gasol, Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic to remain with the former Michael Jordan team?
The runners-up to the Cleveland Cavaliers last NBA season now find themselves at the bottom part of the Eastern Conference - a performance dubbed as a farcry from their aggressive stance against the LeBron James team in the past. Left behind by the likes of the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat, the Chicago Bulls are in the sidelines as the NBA playoffs 2016 heat up. While a number of factors are blamed, it looks like the front office might be looking into the leadership of Butler as one of the main reasons for their disappointing season.
"We've got to take a look at everything," said Gar Forman of the failed bid of the Chicago Bulls to be part of the NBA playoffs 2016. The exec added, "We've got to explore all options and I don't think there's anything that's off the table when you have a disappointing year like this. With that said, obviously Jimmy has had a fantastic year. From where he was to where he's gotten to, he's become a very, very valuable player for us."
The previous season saw the rise of Jimmy Butler in the Chicago Bulls ranks. His leadership pushed the NBA team last season to almost beat Kyrie Irving and his crew in the Eastern Conference. Hence, it came as no surprise when Derrick Rose, the team's previous top dog, was set aside to make way for a new leader. It appears, however, that Butler failed to live up to the expectations. If the comments of the Chicago Bulls execs are to be taken as indications, then the Chicago Bulls and Butler might be heading for a divorce soon. Meanwhile, it looks like Rose's status as top dog has been restored.
"Derrick's under contract for another year," revealed John Paxson when asked of the future of Rose in the Chicago Bulls. He added, "Like Gar said, everything's on the table right now." Paxson also noted that no member of the Chicago Bulls is considered an "untouchable," citing that only the great Michael Jordan actually qualified for such status in the team.
In a previous Gospel Herald report, it was revealed that Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah are seeking for NBA trades from the Chicago Bulls. Some reasons cited were the disorganized leadership in the team and the lack of attention given to the core problems they faced throughout the NBA season. With the promised changes of the Chicago Bulls execs, will Gasol and the others reconsider?
