Jimmy Butler asking price to be high ( Rumor)

[rondohondo]

A league source tells CSNNE.com that the Bulls, while still open to listening to offers for Butler, are telling teams that are inquiring about his availability that their plan for now is to keep him in the fold. And while there was some thought that a top-3 pick coupled with a few decent players might be enough to entice the Bulls to pull the trigger on a deal to trade Butler, CSNNE.com has been told such an offer would have to include at least one "legitimate, NBA starter" for the Bulls to even possibly consider trading him. "And that might be a stretch," the source indicated.

Sounds like it would take one of AB/Crowder , with Smart and the brk pick

do you do it ?

[TheSundanceKid]

No, too steep. I think  there is better value elsewhere in Cousins or Gasol, possibly even Love

[Neurotic Guy]

Asking price for Butler should be high. He's a great 2-way player.

This accentuates the importance of ping-pong balls on May 17.  A huge day for the Cs.   A little luck on that day will be gigantic in terms of creating options.

[alldaboston]

Eh. Sounds like typical "team executive" talk.

[hpantazo]

Yeah, typical posturing has started early this offseason.

[D Dub]

That's nice, but our offer will remain the same. 


And it should, considering we'll be on every team's short list to deal with.

Ingredients:
Choose one of:  AB, Crowder, Smart
Choose one of:  BKL 16' or BKL 18'
Add salary or youth to your liking:  Olynyk, Amir, Rozier, 2nd rounders


In our quest for two impact players, my guess is that one will come from the above deal & the other through free agency.

[LooseCannon]

A league source tells CSNNE.com that the Bulls, while still open to listening to offers for Butler, are telling teams that are inquiring about his availability that their plan for now is to keep him in the fold. And while there was some thought that a top-3 pick coupled with a few decent players might be enough to entice the Bulls to pull the trigger on a deal to trade Butler, CSNNE.com has been told such an offer would have to include at least one "legitimate, NBA starter" for the Bulls to even possibly consider trading him. "And that might be a stretch," the source indicated.

Sounds like it would take one of AB/Crowder , with Smart and the brk pick

do you do it ?

That an uncreative way to look at it.  Why not keep Bradley and Crowder and use some of those lesser firsts to acquire a legit starter to flip to Chicago?

[jpotter33]

I'll say this - it's going to be awfully tough for any team in a situation like Chicago or Sacramento to pass up a top-2 pick in this draft.

That being said, I'd give up our Brooklyn pick and ONE of Crowder, Bradley, or Smart for Butler, but not two of them. I don't think someone like Butler moves the needle enough for us to justify giving up two of those guys and a high pick. I've consistently said that Crowder, Rozier, and the Brooklyn pick is fair value for him, and I'm sticking to it.

Now someone like Cousins might be different. Not only is he arguably the best center in the game, he fits much more of the criteria that we're lacking and need than does Butler - overall scoring, size, rebounding, post presence, and a position of need.

[SHAQATTACK]

I'm shocked

[nickagneta]

If that is high posturing, my guess is they would settle for less. Bradley and a #3 or #4 pick might do it and given how I feel regarding anyone in this draft besides Simmons and Ingram, I would be okay with that trade.

A Thomas/Butler/Crowder starting 1,2,3 would be one of the better starting and younger elite guard wing combos in the league and the Celtics would still have Smart and Rozier, two versatile guards coming off the bench.

That would leave Ainge with just needing to upgrade a poor frontcourt to turn this team into a contender.

[alldaboston]

A league source tells CSNNE.com that the Bulls, while still open to listening to offers for Butler, are telling teams that are inquiring about his availability that their plan for now is to keep him in the fold. And while there was some thought that a top-3 pick coupled with a few decent players might be enough to entice the Bulls to pull the trigger on a deal to trade Butler, CSNNE.com has been told such an offer would have to include at least one "legitimate, NBA starter" for the Bulls to even possibly consider trading him. "And that might be a stretch," the source indicated.

Sounds like it would take one of AB/Crowder , with Smart and the brk pick

do you do it ?

That an uncreative way to look at it.  Why not keep Bradley and Crowder and use some of those lesser firsts to acquire a legit starter to flip to Chicago?

Just doing a 3 team trade is probably the best way to handle it in my opinion. Whatever else Chicago wants that we don't have (for example, a "starter", even though Jae and AB are starters), they can get from the third team.

[Quetzalcoatl]

If we got the second pick and Simmons was gone, I'd do Bradley + 2nd/Ingram + Dallas for him.  I'd give up Bradley because he just became redundant and I'd give up Dallas because we don't have the space for that pick, anyways.  Ingram is a lot to give up, but it should be fine.

What is troubling though is that nobody on our team could still shoot.  We need shooters so bad

[LooseCannon]

If we got the second pick and Simmons was gone, I'd do Bradley + 2nd/Ingram + Dallas for him.  I'd give up Bradley because he just became redundant and I'd give up Dallas because we don't have the space for that pick, anyways.  Ingram is a lot to give up, but it should be fine.

What is troubling though is that nobody on our team could still shoot.  We need shooters so bad

Saying Bradley becomes redundant, then saying the team needs shooters doesn't make sense.  Replacing Bradley with Butler creates the same spacing issues we saw in the playoffs.  Bringing in Al Horford and starting Jerebko next to him would compensate for having Butler and Crowder on the floor together.

[Surferdad]

Yup, it's all posturing at this stage, no reason for CHI to bid against themselves right now.

That said, I disagree with us (as fans) drawing lines in the sand either.  Getting Butler here would make it much more interesting for other stars to come here.  Would you give up on that just because you won't throw a 2nd starter into the deal?  Remember, that 2nd starter is just a good NBA player, not a star.

[jpotter33]

If we got the second pick and Simmons was gone, I'd do Bradley + 2nd/Ingram + Dallas for him.  I'd give up Bradley because he just became redundant and I'd give up Dallas because we don't have the space for that pick, anyways.  Ingram is a lot to give up, but it should be fine.

What is troubling though is that nobody on our team could still shoot.  We need shooters so bad

Saying Bradley becomes redundant, then saying the team needs shooters doesn't make sense.  Replacing Bradley with Butler creates the same spacing issues we saw in the playoffs.  Bringing in Al Horford and starting Jerebko next to him would compensate for having Butler and Crowder on the floor together.

I see Crowder and Butler as ultimately redundant, which is why I'd gladly give him up in the trade over Bradley. You also have to think about Bradley's usefulness on the top PGs of the league, specifically his ability to limit the Currys, Parkers, and Irvings of the world if you ever want to become true title contenders.

Ideally, you'd also sign another scorer and shooter to play the 4 (Durant) and a defensive-oriented 5 that can also spread the floor (Horford), which would allow you to start Smart over IT to have IT's scoring and playmaking on the bench. A lineup of Smart, Bradley, Butler, Durant, and Horford with IT, KO, Mickey, and others off the bench would be absolutely deadly.

If you get the first domino to fall in a Butler trade, you just convince Durant and Horford to team up and you've got your title contender! I'd even settle for the cheaper Noah if Horford chooses the Hawks over the C's.