Chicago Bulls: Will Jimmy Butler Make Luol Deng Expendable?

The 2012-13 Chicago Bulls’ playoff roster was a lot like Capt. John Miller’s troop at the end of “Saving Private Ryan” — badly decimated, hobbled, war-weary and with notable faces clearly missing after being taken out of action. Derrick Rose missing the whole season was like Tom Hanks dying at the end of the movie, except at least “Saving Private Ryan” had its star around for the whole movie. But because the injury-devastated Bulls had to play stretches of the season without Joakim Noah, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich (not to mention D-Rose for the whole season), they found something special in young Jimmy Butler, who was able to step up in a time of adversity.

No diamond is formed without a little pressure and that’s exactly what happened with Jimmy Butler’s playoff emergence as a crucial piece for the Chicago Bulls moving forward. He went from 26 minutes per game during the regular season to a borderline inhumane 40.8 minutes per game in the postseason. Obviously Hinrich and Deng missing time due to lingering injuries played a part, but Butler showed his mettle, tenacity and ridiculous amount of energy on both ends of the floor, which made it nearly impossible for Tom Thibodeau to bench him.

In just his second year in the NBA, Butler worked his way into the rotation and averaged 8.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.0 steals per game during the regular season. But in the playoffs, he gave his team all it could ask for from such a young and inexperienced player, stepping up his per game numbers to 13.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals. Granted, the increase in his numbers has to do with constantly being on the court, but there’s something to be said of a guy who can average 44.2 minutes per game in five contests with the Miami Heat and keep coming back for more. He also shot a respectable 46.7 percent from the field and 38 percent from 3-point range. For reference, Deng hasn’t matched those numbers since the 2007-08 and 2009-10 season, respectively.

At age 23, Butler has a year remaining on his current contract and will make $1.1 million this year, with a team option for the 2014-15 season. Meanwhile, the guy he’s played behind, the 28-year-old Luol Deng, is set to make $14.3 million this season before his contract expires. So as much as Chicago Bulls fans love Deng for his incredible defense and the kind of blue-collar play that is stamped into the team’s DNA, the question has to be asked: Does Jimmy Butler make Luol Deng expendable?

According to Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times, not really. At least, not yet. Cowley’s article cites Bulls general manger Gar Forman, who says there will be conversations moving forward about an extension for Luol Deng. Obviously Chicago likes what it has in Deng, who made his first of two All-Star appearances in 2012. Butler, for all his hard work and potential, isn’t at an All-Star level yet and probably won’t be for awhile, if ever.

For the Bulls, waiting to pull the trigger on a potential Luol Deng trade will all come down to this last stand for Chicago’s current lineup. With a healthy Derrick Rose, Bulls management believes this current core group of Rose-Deng-Boozer-Noah could contend for the Eastern Conference crown and though Miami still looms large over the whole East, Chicago isn’t entirely mistaken that they could compete. My money would be on the Bulls or the Indiana Pacers to prevent a Heat three-peat more than any other team in the NBA. If this Bulls roster, with Butler possibly coming off the bench, beats or shows it can compete with Miami in the East, you can expect Chicago to try and keep Deng AND Butler around.

Basically, patience is the mentality regarding Deng and Butler. It’s easy to see why shedding Deng’s $14 million salary would be helpful, but Butler’s not quite ready to produce at a similarly high level. Why send away a two-time All-Star when you can keep both Butler and Deng and compete for a title, in theory? Giving this Bulls roster one more year to prove itself is a more prudent approach than prematurely shipping off Deng and hoping Butler’s ready for a starter’s responsibilities.