The first round of the NBA playoffs between the Boston Celtics and the Chicago Bulls is close to its boiling point with Jimmy Butler and Marcus Smart getting on each other's nerves in Game 4. However, it looks like the Dwyane Wade team has more riding on Game 5 as reports disclosed that the front office eyes a rebuild if they fail to advance to the next round. Could this mean a Jimmy Butler contract outside the Chicago Bulls soon?
The Chicago Bulls had a disappointing season last year when they failed to make the NBA playoffs. This resulted in the exit of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to the New York Knicks. Pau Gasol saw himself signing with the San Antonio Spurs. Meanwhile, Taj Gibson and Doug McDermitt found themselves shipped midseason to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Will a failure in the first round of the NBA playoffs mean a Jimmy Butler contract elsewhere?
Rumors are rife that the Utah Jazz is looking to add stronger leaders on their roster. With their breakout performance against the Los Angeles Clippers in this year's NBA playoffs, the Gordon Hayward team is reportedly seeking All-Star players to sign by the offseason. Given their stats and wins despite injuries on their roster, the George Hill squad remains a strong team in the West. Will they soon go after a Jimmy Butler contract as well?
"I had the luxury of playing with a guy named LeBron. And we did the same thing when we played -- to Derrick Rose. You have a point guard who guards him but when you need a guy who's longer, who's just as fast, and all those things, it helps. It gives them a different look, it kind of throws off things," Dwyane Wade said in his description of Jimmy Butler as a teammate.
He added, "You're not going to slow down Isaiah Thomas from getting the looks and getting opportunities. The guy can score as good as anybody in this game. But just to give them a different look, if you get their offense out a little further, if it takes a little bit more time off the clock, all those things help. It's good to be able to have a guy like that to say, 'Get us 30, and then go guard the guy that's got 30.'"
At this point, the possibility of a Jimmy Butler contract elsewhere remains as an NBA trade rumor. The parties tagged in this speculation have yet to comment on the matter. However, fans of Jimmy Butler could not help but imagine how far he could go if he teams up with stars like Gordon Hayward and George Hill.
