NBA Rumors: Jimmy Butler Denies Being Responsible For Chicago Bulls Departures
When it is doing damage to your character and reputation, players will sometimes address malicious NBA rumors floating around about them. According to ESPN, Jimmy Butler denies that player departures from the Chicago Bulls were his fault. Butler wants people to know that he did not drive away Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol, and Joakim Noah.
New York Knicks president Phil Jackson needed a new point guard, so he pulled off a trade with the Chicago Bulls that landed him Derrick Rose. Many were under the assumption that Rose and Jimmy Butler could not coexist, but the two of them are actually good friends.
Pau Gasol enjoyed his time with the Chicago Bulls. However, when the opportunity to join the San Antonio Spurs and have a better chance at winning another NBA Championship was presented to him, the 6-foot-11 power forward simply could not refuse the offer. The Spurs are more of a contender at this point than the Bulls.
The Bulls are Jimmy Butler's team. pic.twitter.com/mBaWHivp3f
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 29, 2016
Joakim Noah left in free agency to sign with the New York Knicks, as reported by Sports Illustrated. It is not that he dislikes the Chicago Bulls. He simply wants playing time. Noah was relegated to the bench because Bulls head coach Fred Hoiberg wants to play with smaller and quicker lineups.
Despite the growing reputation, the presence of Jimmy Butler did not hurt the Chicago Bulls in free agency. Plenty of players expressed interest in signing with the team. Chicago even managed to lure two of the bigger free agent prizes to town this summer.
After making the decision to walk away from the Miami Heat after more than a decade, Dwyane Wade needed a new home. He had no qualms with signing with the Chicago Bulls, even though he and Jimmy Butler essentially play the same position. Wade was not deterred by the presence of Butler.
Despite all of the evidence that Jimmy Butler is not as bad of a teammate as he is being made out to be, all eyes will still be on the Chicago Bulls this upcoming season. Many will want to see if Butler can get along with Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade.
While he behaved himself with the Sacramento Kings, Rajon Rondo can be a difficult player for a head coach to deal with. Fred Hoiberg might have his work cut out for him. In the past, Rondo has clashed with Rick Carlisle of the Dallas Mavericks and George Karl of the Kings.
Jimmy Butler revealed that he still keeps in touch with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. Butler stated that he has had phone calls with Rose since the trade. Butler also stated that he exchanges text messages with Noah. Normally, he would keep things like that to himself, but he felt the need to let people know that there is still a relationship there.
Sometimes, the best way to repair a reputation in the NBA is by winning a lot of games. Jimmy Butler can try to use his words, but he knows that he cannot convince everyone. Butler just needs to focus on basketball.
[Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images]
