Some believe the Bulls should trade Jimmy Butler or Derrick Rose.
Butler has come up more often in rumors lately, but don’t necessarily read that as indicative of Chicago’s intent.
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders:
This can mean one of two things:
1. The Bulls – having a sense of each player’s value around the league – would prefer exchanging Rose for what he’d net rather than Butler for what he’d net.
2. The Bulls, facing an equal package in return, would prefer to send out Rose rather than Butler.
The first has meaning. The second does not.
Of course No. 2 is true. Butler is better, younger and on a contract more favorable to the team. Rose’s value doesn’t even come closing to touching Butler’s.
No. 1 would be more interesting. Rose would return far less, but perhaps Chicago would still take that.
Unfortunately, the (huge) difference between No. 1 and No. 2 is often tangled as information comes down the pipeline. Someone might describe the second scenario to someone else who interprets it as the first. There isn’t always precision in these leaks.
