Skip to content

Butler happy to remain a Bull after deadline: 'I'm not going nowhere, baby'

USA Today Sports

Now that Thursday's NBA trade deadline has come and gone, Chicago Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler can turn his attention back to what's really important, and that's playing basketball and keeping his team in the thick of the playoff hunt over in the Eastern Conference.

"You can always be moved," Butler said following Friday's shootaround, according to ESPN's Nick Friedell. "I'm just here. I came in and practiced really well. I enjoyed my break. So I'm in high spirits right now."

The Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks reportedly made offers to Chicago in an attempt to snag Butler in a potential deal, but to no avail. Bulls executive vice president John Paxson said he spoke to the 27-year-old about all of the rumors concerning his future, which didn't seem to faze Butler in the slightest.

"I think I have one job to do," Butler added. "It's not to worry about whether somebody's loyal or not. It's to go out there and hoop. I think (the front office) is going to put us in the best position possible to win games here. I think they're doing that. What they're doing is what they believe is right for this team. Our job is to go out there and make it work, win games to the best of our ability. Loyalty, no loyalty, go out there and compete.

"I can't think too far ahead or too far behind. I know that, right now, this is the organization I want to be with. These are the guys I want to compete with. These are the coaches I want to play for. That's all that I can really focus on. When everything else comes up then we'll worry about that, but right now I'm not going nowhere, baby."

Chicago did pull the trigger on one trade, though, sending Taj Gibson, Doug McDermott, and a 2018 second-rounder to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for Cameron Payne, Joffrey Lauvergne, and Anthony Morrow.

"Obviously, that's my guys, those two," said Butler of the move. "That hasn't set in that they're my enemy now, but I think it will whenever we have to go up against each other."

The Bulls sit seventh in the East with a 28-29 record and will return to action Friday night when they host the visiting Phoenix Suns at United Center.

Daily Newsletter

Get the latest trending sports news daily in your inbox