The Chicago Bulls have fielded some solid teams throughout the years, but before the current iteration of the squad, they were stuck in a rebuild. But before that rebuild, there were the Jimmy Butler-led Bulls, who continuously fought for the playoffs. However, that all ended when Chicago traded Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Now, Butler is on the Miami Heat and in the NBA Finals for the second time in four seasons. It’s caused some Bulls fans to reflect back on the trade and wonder what could have been if Butler had stayed in Chicago. Could they be in the Finals right now with him at the helm? To put it bluntly – no.
Trading Butler when they did was absolutely the correct decision, and that’s not a knock on Butler. At the time, Butler was an All-Star, but the Bulls weren’t making any progress in putting pieces around him. And they actually got a great haul in return for the star.
Chicago moved Butler to the Timberwolves for Zach LaVine, Lauri Markkanen, and Kris Dunn. And while only one of those three players is still on the squad, that player is now a two-time All-Star at 28 years old.
The fact that LaVine turned into an All-Star makes the trade a solid one, as oftentimes, trades that send out stars yield a middling return.
Plus, what would have happened if the Bulls kept Butler? More years of hovering around the middle of the pack with no results? Chicago’s rebuild failed in the post-Butler years, but at least they tried. Keeping him would have just delayed the inevitable.
And in all honesty, a huge part of Butler’s success story should be credited to Miami. Not because he wouldn’t have been great without the Heat, but because they are a match made in heaven.
It may be frustrating for Bulls fans to watch Butler thrive elsewhere after Chicago traded him away, but all in all, it was a move that needed to be done, and they got some solid assets in return.
