The Chicago Bulls held their postseason press conference with G.M. Gar Forman and President John Paxson on Wednesday afternoon, and while the duo was vague on certain details, two key members of the team didn’t exactly get ringing endorsements.
One of those men was Jimmy Butler, who averaged a career high 23.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game during the 2016-17 season. Trade rumors have swirled around Butler repeatedly over the last few seasons, but the team did nothing to quash those rumors during their press availability.
“You always have to keep things open,” Paxson said. “We’re going to sit down with Jimmy again….define to him our thoughts.”
Butler is still under contract for two more seasons, with a player option after the 2018-19 campaign, but he’s been connected in trade rumors with several clubs, including the Boston Celtics as the Bulls look to potentially kickstart a rebuild with their most valuable trading chip.
Another person who didn’t receive an emphatic vote of confidence was head coach Fred Hoiberg, who still has three years remaining on his deal. Hoiberg is safe from firing despite the team’s first round exit, but Paxson and Forman both indicated that they will be expecting more out of him in the coming year.
“Fred’s challenge this season is to find ways to be a better leader,” Paxson said. “But that’s part of the process. We made the commitment to him. We support him. And we’re in this with him. That’s how an organization has to work.”
The team was very vague about the future of both Dwyane Wade, who has a player option for next season, and Rajon Rondo, who has a team option, but they did not rule out anything when it came to bringing back one or both players.
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One thing that the team likely will not be doing in the offseason is adding another marquee name, as Paxson said that the team doesn’t have the financial flexibility under the salary cap to add a deal.
“(We’d love to) go out and get another superstar player to put with (Butler), but with the salaries we have, it’s difficult to manage,” Paxson said.
