While the Bulls still aren’t close to moving Jimmy Butler, there appears to be more “organizational alignment” than there was last year on the idea that a rebuild is in the team’s best interest, reports K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. Chicago’s asking price for Butler hasn’t changed, according to Johnson, who says the team would be seeking starters or rotation players, along with multiple high draft picks.
Since the Bulls would like to land a high pick in Thursday’s draft if they move Butler, the Celtics (No. 3), Suns (No. 4), and Timberwolves (No. 7) would make sense as trade partners. However, as Johnson details, the Bulls have received the impression that Boston plans to use the third overall pick, and Minnesota’s seventh overall pick likely wouldn’t put Chicago in position to nab one of the top prospects they like, such as De’Aaron Fox or Josh Jackson.
Here are more trade rumors from around the league, including notes on Chicago’s other potential trade partner, the Suns:
- The Suns have explored the possibility of trading their No. 4 overall pick in a deal for a star, having looked into players like Butler, Paul George, and Kristaps Porzingis, Adrian Wojnarowski noted during The Vertical’s live show on Wednesday night. Sources tell K.C. Johnson that Phoenix is also looking to include Eric Bledsoe, who has two years left on his contract, in any major trade package.
- On The Vertical’s live show, Wojnarowski identified the Hawks as a team to watch on the trade market, suggesting that new GM Travis Schlenk may be looking to cut costs as he retools the roster. Kent Bazemore could be a trade candidate in Atlanta, per Wojnarowski.
- Even without a GM in place, the Cavaliers continued to work “furiously” on Wednesday pursuing trade possibilities, writes Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. It appears the Cavs and Chauncey Billups are close to reach an agreement that would add him to their front office, but the team is more focused on working the trade market, and will continue trying to find a deal on Thursday.
- Within a larger piece about the draft, Ryan Wolstat of The Toronto Sun suggests the Raptors are confident about their chances to re-sign Serge Ibaka in free agency, which could make Jonas Valanciunas expendable in the right deal.
Pacers need that 4th pick
We will find the island Tupac is living on before the bulls trade butler. It’s getting kind of old.
Trade Bender and the #4 pick for KP
Apparently all the Knicks want for KP is another tall, skinny, white European. Bender fits that mold perfectly
Bulls need guards, athletes/shooters that can be wing players, and they could use someone at the 4. If they can do that with their draft pick, and bring in a couple of free agents somehow, they could be right there in the middle/approaching top 5 in the east. But if it seems like it’s not plausible to fix their issues, it might make sense to move Butler to Boston, Denver, Phoenix, or Minnesota
Bledsoe, #4 overall, Dragan Bender, 2018 Heat 1st rounder, 2021 1st rounder, 2017 phoenix 2nd round pick, and Jared Dudley for Porzingis, Lance Thomas, Noah, and the Knicks 2019 1st round pick
I gave Phoenix the Knicks 2019 pick for taking on Noah, although some of that is offset by them getting Thomas’ value and sending out Dudley’s contract….I pretty much saw it as Anthony Davis trade value minus 2-3 good assets b/c there isn’t much reason for the knicks to trade Porzingis on his rookie scale deal
For Butler, a Phoenix offer could be Bledsoe, the #4, Bender, and the 2018 Heat pick
Boston: Jae Crowder, #3 pick, rights to Abdel Nader, Tyler Zeller, Demetrius Jackson, Jordan Mickey, and the 2018 Celtics 1st round pick
Denver, probably something like: Hernangomez, Faried, 2 of Mudiay/Beasley/Barton, #13 pick, and 2019 1st round pick
All the type of stuff the Bulls should be contemplating, although you first would try to figure it out with Butler
My friend you are seriously smoking crack!
These are some terrible valuations.
You guys know Butler is down to onlyy 2 years of control left, right? So the deals they could have made last year aren’t on the table. You’d probably get 1 less asset…those are all plausible offers. The added pieces are to match salaries
Tu pac lives in Newseeland.
Bledsoe Bender and for KP is enough !!!!!!
Butler is a top 15 (arguably top 10) player. Anything less than two top 7 or 8 (with one being at least a top 3) picks, and a decent starter, is a non-starter, if I’m a GM.
He’s the kind of player that can easily transform and rejuvenate your entire franchise, and he’s still young and just entering his prime.
Interesting idea- hawks move bazemore for a pick that gets them Kennard or another wing like that. I don’t really know if this is fair, but if this seems like hawks are getting ripped off then put in one of the contracts from the Howard trade. If hawks are getting too good of a deal add in pick 41. Just an idea but what do you think
Hawks need tog eat rid of bazemore