Professional basketball player Jimmy Butler is sticking it out with the Chicago Bulls after agreeing to a whopping five-year deal worth $95 million, and he seems to be raring to help the team next season.
The decision is apparently contrary to his initial search for a long-term deal, something that rumors suggest he is amenable to with the Los Angeles Lakers, though this would have been easily matched by the Bulls.
The belief that Butler was jumping ship was spurred by the reportedly brewing tension between him and Bulls point guard Derrick Rose, something that he personally shot down.
"I don't think we have any issues. I think we're fine. I think we're two basketball players that want to win games. That's where I'll leave it at. I think we just wanna win, bring a championship to the city, to the organization. I think that's our job. And I think we're gonna do whatever it takes to make that happen. I have a lot of respect for the guy," Butler said in an interview with Rolling Stone.
The reported issue between Butler and Rose came about after Game Six of the playoff match between the Bulls and the Atlanta Hawks. An apparent disagreement stemming from who wanted the ball more came out but was hushed up ever since. This added more fuel to the fire and spurred the belief that Butler was on his way out and transferring to another team,and not necessarily just the Los Angeles Lakers.
There was even a possibility that he could reunite with former head coach Tom Thibodeau, who was rumored to be a possible coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers, though all these remains rumors.
Fans remain apprehensive. Was it a one-game rift or has the reported conflict between Butler and Rose been brewing? The rumor remains an interesting sidelight to the Bulls' attempt to rebound from a disappointing playoff performance and do better under new coach Fred Hoiberg for the 2015-16 NBA season.
