Chicago Bulls’ fans can breathe a sigh of relief as it looks like the Bulls have rejected the offer from the Boston Celtics to trade Jimmy Butler for the No. 3 pick in the NBA draft. The question is what are the Bulls’ offseason plans now that the blockbuster deal is off the table:
The Boston Celtics have been pursuing a number of established veterans in the buildup to Thursday’s NBA draft, offering trade packages built around the No. 3 overall pick, according to league sources.
But sources told ESPN that the Celtics, to date, have been rebuffed in their efforts to assemble a sufficiently enticing deal to acquire any of these four prime targets: Chicago Bulls All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler, Utah Jazz guard Gordon Hayward and Milwaukee Bucks teammates Jabari Parker or Khris Middleton.
The Bulls will need to start looking for assets to bolster their roster if they want to make playoffs. It is likely either Gasol or Noah will leave them in free agency, so they will have to move quick.