Bulls trade deadline rumors: No movement on Butler, yet

With a little more than an hour to go until the trade deadline, there have been some interesting deals around the league but none involving the Bulls. You have to legitimately wonder that the Bulls, by my guess having one of the more anemic basketball operations staffs, can even handle multiple simultaneous trade tracks. Like, can they work with Boston on Jimmy Butler yet also find value for Taj, Niko, and Doug? I’m doubtful.

On the Jimmy Butler front, the consensus rumor seems to be focused more on Boston pursuing Paul George. There’s conflicting reports as to which of their assets, least of all the 2017 Brooklyn Pick, is actually available. It should be reiterated that whatever the Pacers want for Paul George, the Bulls should demand more for Jimmy Butler. Jimmy’s having the better season and arguably is the better player now, and unlike George, Butler is in a big market that he wants to stay in, AND is under contract for at least a year longer.

[aside: I think it is reasonable to get offended that the Bulls are even entertaining ‘a rebuild’ for the sake of it instead of holding on to their star and trying for another. This is a huge market! We shouldn’t have to worry about stars ‘leaving us’ and dealing them in a panic.]

There’s been nothing brewing today on Jahlil Okafor or any other Bulls either. So in the meantime look at the other deals and rumors from around the league and consider how useless the Bulls front office is. Then as we get to the deadline freak out over the last-minute flurry of activity. Here’s hoping they don’t make a Butler trade, because the more I think about it the more I think these guys will just make a bad one.