Jimmy Butler bet on himself last fall by refusing a lucrative extension from the Chicago Bulls. Whether or not he’s comfortable making a similar gamble this summer will not just decide his fate, but have a drastic influence on the Bulls’, too.
After receiving both a five-year, max-level contract offer and one-year qualifying offer from Chicago, the restricted free agent is reportedly debating the length of his new deal with the black-and-red as opposed to mulling other free agency options. Via ESPN’s Chris Broussard:
The Chicago Bulls offered a maximum five-year, $90 million contract Monday, leading the restricted free agent to postpone meetings with several others teams as he decides how many years to re-sign with the Bulls for, sources said.
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The Bulls also offered him a one-year qualifying offer of $4.5 million, sources said.
Due to the Bulls affording him the maximum contract allowable, Butler is prevented from signing any deal with a competing team that’s less than three years in length. It was previously reported that he prefers a shorter-term deal that would give him the chance to hit the open market again as the salary cap explodes over each of the next two summers.
Without that option, though, the possibility exists that Butler could choose to play 2015-16 on a qualifying offer and re-enter the fray as an unrestricted free agent next July. That approach involves significant financial risk, of course, but seems a more likely one for the Marquette product than others considering his comparable wager last October. It’s not like an injury-plagued season would severely diminish his value, either. At 25 years old, Butler’s playing prime is only just approaching.
What his decision might ultimately come down to more than anything else is how comfortable he is in Chicago. Butler is reportedly fond of the Los Angeles Lakers, and had plans to meet with other suitors, too, before the Bulls limited his options by presenting a max contract offer.
It’s almost always safe to assume financial security will emerge as a trump card in free agent negotiations. But Butler is a unique player, and the current salary cap situation makes inking a long-term deal a far less attractive option for players than it’s been in the past.
One thing is nearly certain, though: Butler will be in Chicago next season. Where he plays beyond that will be decided in the coming days.
[Via ESPN]
