Jimmy Butler 'as good as gone' from Chicago Bulls, according to NBA front office executive

Jimmy Butler, the three-time All-Star, already has one step out of the door and doesn't plan to re-sign with the Chicago Bulls when he becomes a free agent in 2019, per reports. Prior to last month's NBA Trade Deadline, the Bulls were open to the idea of trading Butler but couldn't get a desired deal done.

Butler has a Player Option worth US$19.8 million (AU$25.9 million) for the 2019-20 season and would likely opt to capitalise on the NBA's rising salary cap. According to The Ringer, an anonymous NBA front-office revealed that Butler “as good as gone” from the Windy City and would welcome a trade.

The report added that the Bulls could pull off a Jimmy Butler trade during June's NBA Draft night when a team could offer a top-3 selection in a premium draft class. "On May 16, ping-pong balls will determine the destiny of each team with a lottery pick. Conventional wisdom would suggest that the team who wins the lottery is in pole position for a Jimmy Butler trade or Paul George trade, just as the Cavs were in 2014 for Love. What teams will need to weigh is the prospect of winning more in the short term versus the potential of winning a lot long-term."

Jimmy Butler trade matter of when, not if

It's no secret that Paul George is equally frustrated with his situation in Indiana. On Tuesday, the Pacers All-Star snapped at his teammates after suffering a 115-114 home defeat to the Minnesota Timberwolves. "There's no urgency, no sense of urgency, no winning pride. This locker room is just not pissed off enough. We should have a professional approach, man, and defend our home court, especially to a team that's not even in the playoffs. That's what it comes down to. As a team, we've got to have grit, and we've got to own up, man up," an irate George was quoted as saying by ESPN.

Prior to the NBA Trade Deadline, insider David Aldridge reported that the Celtics and Bulls went back-and-forth on a potential Jimmy Butler trade but couldn't come to terms on a mutually satisfactory transaction. In fact, the teams went through a similar process ahead of last year's NBA Draft and could do the same in a few months. Regardless, it seems a foregone conclusion that Butler's days in Chicago are numbered.

Jimmy Butler is averaging 23.5 points, 5.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds in his sixth NBA season. The wing was voted into the starting unit of the 2017 NBA All-Star game for his career-high numbers in all categories. The Bulls would expect nothing less than a top-3 pick and another all-star calibre player to pull the trigger on a Jimmy Butler trade this summer.