Chicago Bulls

Jimmy Butler Issued Ultimatum to Bulls Before Trade

The Chicago Bulls parted ways with Jimmy Butler over the offseason, and now the star forward is revealing more about what led to his departure from the Windy City.

During an interview on an ESPN pregame show, Butler opened up about what caused him to want out of Chicago, and what the organization did when he decided that enough was enough.

“I probably went about things the wrong way,” he told ESPN’s Sam Alipour. “I said from the beginning – it was either gonna be me or the Fred Hoiberg route. And rightfully so, they took Fred. Good for them.”

Hoiberg is currently in the third year of a five-year contract that he signed when the team opted to replace former head coach Tom Thibodeau, who is now Butler’s head coach with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The teams will play each other in Chicago on Feb. 9, in the Bulls’ only nationally televised game of the season. Naturally, Butler has that date circled in his calendar.

“I’ve got that game marked on my calendar: Feb. 9 baby, I’m back.” 

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