Should -- and will -- the Chicago Bulls trade star guard Jimmy Butler? What about Rajon Rondo?
Our NBA Insiders debate what moves Chicago should make before the deadline.
1. Where are the Bulls on the buyer-seller scale?
Nick Friedell, ESPN.com: Sell! Sell! Sell! The Bulls are in the worst place a franchise can be in pro sports right now: the middle. They should do everything they can to look toward the future.
Jeremias Engelmann, ESPN Insider: The Bulls have a (nearly) 35-year-old with bad knees in Dwyane Wade, and they just demoted Rondo, their former starting point guard, to the far end of the bench because he's fighting with assistant coaches and not playing with effort. They're obviously sellers. I'd be surprised, though, if they found any buyers.
David Thorpe, ESPN Insider: Open to anything and everything. A team that's lost can get lucky -- maybe a team even more lost wants to do a deal, or perhaps a team more desperate. If Chicago can make smart trades, whether they are adding good players or moving players not working out, that would be better than standing firm.
Bradford Doolittle, ESPN Insider: In my head I'm hearing Randolph Duke from "Trading Places" yelling, "Sell! Sell!" This is a collection of basketball players that is increasingly dysfunctional. It's time this franchise became one that doesn't just say it's taking the long view, but acts like one. Need athletes? Start acquiring them.
Kevin Pelton, ESPN Insider: More sellers than buyers. I don't see Chicago moving into rebuild mode. I think the Bulls will hope to remake the roster this summer in free agency, but players on expiring contracts who may not figure into their future (notably Taj Gibson and Nikola Mirotic) could be available sooner.
2. Would you advise the Bulls to consider trading Jimmy Butler?
Friedell: Yes. Butler has turned himself into one of the best players in the league. The Bulls' roster isn't very good. He is their most valuable asset. I don't think they will move him, but I do think they should consider it for the right offer.
Engelmann: Initiating a rebuild -- which trading Butler would likely result in -- is done for one thing: getting a superstar, most often through the draft. In Butler, who ranks sixth in Real Plus-Minus, the Bulls already have one. They also don't have horrible long-term contracts on the roster, so they could be contenders as soon as next season if they swing smart deals this summer.
Thorpe: They absolutely must consider it, though I would not say they absolutely should trade him. He is the one guy who simply cannot be moved, and should not be moved, for anything less than equal value, meaning an All-Star or a few guys with All-Star potential.
Doolittle: Because Butler is already 27, I'd consider it. Eventually, Butler will stop improving (right?) and it's fair to consider him at the apex of his value. While the Bulls don't seem to be willing to go into full-on reset mode, moving Butler for a package heavy in controllable players and draft picks would be defensible. The Celtics would be a logical partner in such a scenario. But it's so hard to find truly elite players.
Pelton: No, not now that the new CBA gives them an edge in re-signing him, should he be eligible for the designated veteran extension or exception. Until or unless Butler isn't eligible or suggests he won't sign such a deal, Chicago should build around him.
3. Do you think the Bulls will trade Butler?
Pelton: No, for the same reasons I outlined in Question 2.
Friedell: No. They thought about it before last year's trade deadline and again before last summer's draft. I don't think they'll get enough value in return for him. He's also improved his standing in the locker room and shown he's ready for more leadership responsibility.
Engelmann: Teams don't trade superstars unless they openly demand a trade. Butler probably wishes the Bulls had a better record, but he doesn't strike me as a person that would try to force his way out. That could change if the Bulls keep Rondo and finish outside the playoffs for a third consecutive season.
Thorpe: Common sense suggests that it is not likely. He's a very good player that they can quite likely hold on to for many years. There are just not many deals that the Bulls would like enough to move him.
Doolittle: I think Butler stays. I suspect that Gar Forman and John Paxson aren't willing to gut the roster in a way that puts the Bulls into the upper reaches of the lottery. Given Jerry Reinsdorf's Buddha-like patience with front-office types, Forman and Paxson probably aren't on the hot seats they'd be on in other organizations. Still, keeping Butler keeps them in the mediocre range and they aren't likely to proactively drop below that level.
4. Will Rajon Rondo still be on the roster after the trade deadline?
Pelton: If he is, only until a buyout is completed shortly thereafter. As Tim MacMahon explained, once Rondo was out of the rotation in Dallas, the Mavericks wanted him away from the team as soon as possible. While Rondo has handled his benching with professionalism thus far, I don't think it makes sense for either side for him to stay on the roster. And at this point, I'm not sure who would be interested in trading for Rondo, so I think a buyout is the most likely outcome.
Engelmann: The Bulls would be extremely happy if someone took Rondo off their hands. Problem is, it's unlikely anyone wants a player suspended for "detrimental conduct" by two of his last three teams. I'm one of many who expect Rondo's next destination to be China.
Thorpe: I would expect not. I was amazed he was signed in the first place. He represents a very old way of playing -- the pass-first point guard who holds on to the ball forever as he waits for the most likely assist. Steve Nash did similar things sometimes, but he was an elite shooter -- and a far more fun teammate to play with.
Doolittle: Very little chance. Once Rondo has his ire up, it's over, and it's not like he was helping the team anyway. The Bulls have younger options that need the court time at that position, and they need to give poor Fred Hoiberg a break. I can't see another team giving up anything for Rondo, or even wanting him, so a buyout seems the most likely outcome -- if Reinsdorf is willing to eat the money.
Friedell: No. I think Rondo and the Bulls will come to some sort of buyout. He still wants to play and the Bulls want to go in a younger direction. The Bulls rolled the dice during the summer and signed him. It didn't work. Now it's better for all involved if both parties make the divorce amicable.
5. What's a trade the Bulls should consider?
Pelton: While it might be difficult politically for the Chicago front office to deal with former coach Tom Thibodeau, trading Taj Gibson to the Minnesota Timberwolves could make sense for both sides. I'd target Tyus Jones as a better-shooting option at point guard than the players the Bulls currently have at the position.
Doolittle: The Bulls needs to move Gibson for whatever his expiring -- but bargain-level -- contract can bring back from a contender. He's 31 and playing well, but he's also depreciating by the day.
Moving him gives Chicago the option of playing Nikola Mirotic full time in hopes that in an unchallenged role, he can become the player the Bulls thought they'd signed a few years ago. Gathering as much data as possible on Mirotic, Doug McDermott, Michael Carter-Williams, etc., in Hoiberg's system is more important than chasing a low seed in the East.
Thorpe: I'd like to see them pursue DeMarcus Cousins. That kind of trade would likely require players like Wade (for salary matching), Nikola Mirotic and Robin Lopez, along with multiple draft picks -- the Bulls own the rights to the Kings' protected 2017 pick, and could return it to them. Paxson and the Bulls would be good for Cousins, and the Kings could start fresh.
Engelmann: The Bulls could use a good point guard -- preferably one who can shoot -- but I don't see them putting together packages that other teams find enticing. Carter-Williams won't net you a first-rounder anymore, and Dwyane Wade -- whose knees are almost done and because he makes $24 million per year through 2017-18 -- isn't a great trade chip, either.
Friedell: I think the Bulls would be wise to move anyone they can, but I think they should strongly consider moving on from Wade. He has been great for the Bulls both on and off the floor, but he's not a long-term fit in Chicago. Help him land in a nice place and free up some cap space for the future. Wade's departure would also allow for younger players to get minutes.
I don't think the Bulls will do this, but I think it would help them in the long run.