Looks like Jimmy Butler will be a restricted free agent. (USATSI)
Chicago Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler will not get a contract extension before the midnight ET deadline on Friday, so he'll be a restricted free agent at the end of this season, Butler and his agent, Happy Walters, told Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski:
“It came down to me deciding that I want to bet on myself,” Butler told Yahoo Sports in a text message on Friday. “It was about me believing that I put the work in this summer to become a better player with the hope that my improvement will give the Bulls a better chance to win a championship.”
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“All the [rookie extension] deals done so far have shown that teams are building around their stars of the future, and they're compensating those players as such,” Walters told Yahoo Sports on Friday. “I was under the impression Jimmy was also viewed as one of those future building blocks with the Bulls.
“We tried like heck to get something done, but ultimately, the Bulls wanted a ‘hometown' discount. While understandable, I doubt their GM or coaches give Mr. Reinsdorf a discount when negotiating their own deals.”
K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune has more:
"We're done talking," agent Happy Walters said by phone. "Jimmy loves Chicago and hopefully is there long-term. But his future is in his hands, not the Bulls'."
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"Jimmy feels really good about the fact we engaged the Bulls in talks in good faith," Walters said. "He's ready to prove wrong the questions they have about his shooting."
The Bulls have the right to match any offer Butler receives next summer. Butler told Walters on Friday that he's ready to "play it out" and bet on himself.
Sources said the sides are $2 million apart annually over a four-year deal.
If indeed the Bulls won't increase their offer, it's a tad surprising. Butler is their best perimeter defender by a country mile, and there are few in the league who give wing scorers a tougher time. Chicago cannot afford to lose him in free agency, especially after letting Luol Deng go last year. At the same time, there are questions about how much money he should make for his services. Butler's 3-point shooting regressed last season, and he's going to need to be more consistent in that area. No one doubts his defense, but he has to prove he's a plus at both ends of the floor.
Butler's choice to bet on himself seems like a smart one, at least right now. The Bulls are a much, much more potent offensive team with Derrick Rose, Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic this year. That should mean many more open, easy looks for Butler, and thus a higher shooting percentage. If he makes strides in other areas, that's a bonus.
Earlier this week, Butler confidently said he thought the two sides would be able to reach an agreement.
Basketball Hot News
Ricky Rubio agrees to 4-year, $55 million contract extension with Timberwolves
The decision of whether or not to extend Ricky Rubio was an interesting one for the Timberwolves.
Initially, the team offered four years and $48 million, which seemed to be more than a fair price for a point guard who averaged 10.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 9.6 assists last season — and that was with Kevin Love still in the fold to handle the bulk of the responsibilities offensively.
Rubio’s camp balked, however, and rather than see what kind of offers he may receive as a restricted free agent next summer, Minnesota decided to go even higher in order to lock up Rubio now before things could potentially get crazy.
From Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports:
Minnesota’s Ricky Rubio has reached agreement on a four-year, $55 million-plus contract extension, a league source tells Yahoo Sports.
The deal could be worth an extra $1 million if Rubio hits certain incentives, reports Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune.
There’s a lot Rubio does right; he has above-average court vision, which results in superior passing that consistently allows him to find teammates for open looks. He excels with dribble penetration, which opens up additional passing lanes that make things easier for him while capably running the team’s offense.
The glaring issue with Rubio, of course, is his inability to make shots at a high percentage. He shot just 38.1 percent from the field last season, which was a career best through his first three NBA seasons.
But Minnesota is a market that needs to lock up homegrown talent at any price. Kevin Love bolted in free agency the moment he got the chance, and free agents aren’t ever going to see the Timberwolves as a desirable landing spot. Rubio can be a franchise cornerstone to pair with the newly-acquired Andrew Wiggins, and for that reason, this extension was a bargain for Minnesota, and a fair one for Rubio to accept.
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