NBA Rumors: Chicago Bulls Splitting Up Derrick Rose And Jimmy Butler

NBA rumors are swirling around Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose. There have been speculations that the two Chicago Bulls stars cannot coexist on the court, as both players need to be the focal point of the offense to be most effective. According to the Chicago Tribune, Butler and Rose are much closer off the court than people realize. Unfortunately, the two might not be playing together for very much longer because the Bulls may need to reload their roster.

Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler have a close friendship that is not always visible to the public eye. Before training camp started last year, Rose bought Butler an expensive watch to show his respect and admiration for Butler’s rise as one of the best players in the NBA. Both players have stated that they love being around each other. Rose views Butler as a little brother. For those who have made a big deal about the two stars not eating together, it’s not because they don’t like each other, but because they have different traveling styles. Butler usually travels with his trainers, relatives, and friends; Rose, on the other hand, prefers to keep to himself.

Due to his gigantic contract and his erratic play, Derrick Rose might not be a good fit for the Chicago Bulls anymore. Rose might not be able to fit alongside Jimmy Butler due to his playing style. Rose will be making around $21 million next season, which might be too high of a salary for the Bulls to carry during a reloading phase. Buying out Derrick would make a lot of sense for Chicago.

There are a couple places in the NBA that Derrick Rose can possibly fit. The Brooklyn Nets are in a need of a star point guard. Rose might be able to fill that role. Thaddeus Young and Brook Lopez are the two best players on the roster. The Nets will be in need of more talent, and Rose can fill in that void. Another team that can use Derrick’s service is the New York Knicks. He will have to modify his game to fit into the triangle offense, but it’s not impossible.

Derrick Rose may not be the only person who might be leaving the Chicago Bulls this season. There is also a possibility that Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah will be leaving the Bulls also. Noah’s contract comes to an end this season, and Chicago might let him walk in free agency since his role on the team has diminished. While Gasol hasn’t completely ruled out a return to the Bulls, he will be looking for a team that can compete for an NBA Championship now.

There are a couple key pieces that the Chicago Bulls will keep around. Nikola Mirotic is a guy who can stretch out the floor, and in today’s NBA, teams love to have him. Doug McDermott is another player on the Bulls team who they are high on. What McDermott brings to Chicago is that he is a guy who can score from the 3-point line. Another player that the Bulls are high on is Bobby Portis, who can play both the power forward and center positions. Portis is a player who can potentially average a double double in a couple years.

The Chicago Bulls will have some money to spend this summer to bring in some help for Jimmy Butler. Al Horford is someone who can help Butler because of his hustle, versatility, and unselfish nature. Horford is a big man who can stretch out the floor, find the open the man, and can bang down low with the bigger centers around the NBA. Another option for the Bulls will be Harrison Barnes from the Golden State Warriors. Barnes is a versatile player who can play both forwards positions. He is a spot up 3-point shooter, good wing defender, and a good rebounder.

With the Chicago Bulls getting ready to reload their roster, Jimmy Butler and Derrick Rose might be on a verge of separation. Their friendship off the court hasn’t translated to wins this season, and due to Rose’s gigantic contract, he will most likely be on the way out. There will be teams lining up to sign the former NBA MVP. Along with Rose, Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah seem to be on the way out also due to the team’s reloading phase. The Bulls already have some key pieces still in place for the future, and they can also bring in help in free agency this summer to speed up the process.