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Chicago Bulls: 5 bold offseason predictions

By James D. Tillman III

Jan 20, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) and guard Dwyane Wade (3) talk against the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 102-93. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 20, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) and guard Dwyane Wade (3) talk against the Atlanta Hawks in the fourth quarter at Philips Arena. The Hawks won 102-93. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 16, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) goes to the basket past Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) and center Kelly Olynyk (41) during the third quarter in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 16, 2017; Boston, MA, USA; Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler (21) goes to the basket past Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart (36) and center Kelly Olynyk (41) during the third quarter in game one of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports /

1. The Bulls are keeping Jimmy Butler in the fold

The situation with Jimmy Butler is an interesting one. During his rookie season, the six-year veteran played just 8.5 minutes while averaging just 2.6 points per contest.

Since that time, however, not only has Butler been the team’s top scoring option in each of the last three seasons, he has also become one of the best two-way players in the league. Despite those accomplishments, though, his name has been mentioned in several trade rumors over the past two years.

What has made the situation even worse was the unwillingness of the front office to address those rumors. But a day after being non-committal about Butler’s long-term future with the Bulls, general manager John Paxson sang a different tune on the subject during a radio interview with ESPN 1000.

Taking those comments into consideration, Paxson is conceding that the higher-ups realize just how much Butler brings to the table.

Next: 2017 NBA Mock Draft: Post-Lottery edition

Being that he nearly singlehandedly carried the Bulls to the playoffs while posting career-highs across the board, the focus should now shift to putting the right pieces around him rather than exploring various trade scenarios with other teams.

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