Report: Jimmy Butler could have knee surgery at end of season

The Chicago Bulls continue to fade in the Eastern Conference playoff race, and their All-Star swingman continues to face questions about his health.

Only two weeks after Jimmy Butler got a vote of confidence from Dr. James Andrews, Butler's troublesome left knee is back in the news, as a source told the Chicago Sun-Times' Joe Cowley that exploratory surgery is in play for Butler at the conclusion of the season.

"Maybe. I hope not," Butler told the Sun-Times on Thursday. "Is my knee the same as it was before the injury? No."

"I don't know if there's something really wrong in there, but it's not really right, either," Butler added of the knee.

Butler missed a month of action after spraining the knee on Feb. 5, returned for one game on Mar. 5, then proceeded to miss another three due to swelling in the knee before he was cleared by Dr. Andrews.

Still, he hasn't looked quite right since returning to the Bulls' lineup. He's averaged 14.6 points on 38 percent shooting over his last seven games, prompting him to tell reporters earlier this week that he feels he's actually hurting the team.

The Bulls, who have made the playoffs in each of the last seven seasons, trail the Detroit Pistons by 1 1/2 games for the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff spot.