There have been plenty of NBA rumors throughout the past season and heading into the offseason about Chicago Bulls All-Star Jimmy Butler. While he's been a longtime member of the Windy City franchise, there's been speculation that another organization will look to snag him in attempts to find playoff success. Two of those organizations at the top of the list are the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers. Will Jimmy Butler leave Chicago for one of those two teams?
Butler's TV appearance
Just recently, Jimmy Butler stopped by the "Jimmy Kimmel Live" show on late night television.
While on the show, he spoke about how he always keeps his personal trainers with him, just in case the Bulls call. Butler said that way he can always say "I'm training" when the team calls and has the trainers with him as proof.
Jimmy Kimmel mentioned that Butler's in Los Angeles now and then asked if he was coming to play for the Lakers. Butler said he "loves Chicago" and "they took a chance on me in 2011 with the 30th pick." Kimmel agreed that Butler should stay in the city where he started a charity foundation, to which Butler joked that Kimmel sounded like he didn't think he was good enough to be on the L.A. Lakers.
A Celtics trade?
Kimmel also brought up the fact there had been NBA trade rumors that he might get sent to the Boston Celtics.
Butler replied that "everyone always asks that, but I can't really control that." The Bulls All-Star said that what the Bulls decide to do is "what they decide to do" and reiterated that he loves it there. He added that whatever organization he plays for will always get his all.
Butler and the Bulls played the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs this postseason.
Boston was able to sweep the Bulls, despite Chicago surprising them early in the series. An injury to guard Rajon Rondo kept him out of action and may have helped Boston stave off a shocking upset. That said, the Celtics were easily ousted from the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, 4-1.
However, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers will have picks No.
1 and No. 2 in the upcoming NBA Draft. It's been said that if a trade was going to go down, Boston would have to offer Chicago quite a bit to be able to land a superstar of Jimmy Butler's caliber. Still, money can do a lot of talking in the NBA too, so if Magic Johnson and the Lakers make Butler a deal he can't pass up to be the man in Los Angeles, he could be donning the gold and purple jersey in the future.