Butler explains Bulls exit: It was either me or Fred Hoiberg

The Chicago Bulls made the difficult choice this summer to move away from their franchise player, Jimmy Butler.

Moving Butler was clearly a bid to rebuild, as they got back valuable prospects and picks from the Minnesota Timberwolves. However, Butler explains it was also a decision to value what Bulls coach Fred Hoiberg was doing with the roster over Butler's style of leadership.

"I probably went about a lot of things the wrong way," Butler explained in an interview with ESPN's Sam Alipour. "People don't work as hard as I do but expect the same things out of the game as I do. That's my fault and I've learned from that.

"I said from the beginning: It was either going to be me or the Fred Hoiberg route, and rightfully so. They took Fred, so good for them."

Butler came up in the league under the exhausting tutelage of ex-Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau, with whom Butler was reunited in Minnesota. The tough-love approach helped shape Butler into one of the best two-way wings in the league and a three-time All-Star.

Friction arose after the Bulls took a sharp 180 in selecting Hoiberg to replace Thibodeau. Hoiberg wasn't the same type of drill sergeant, which frustrated Butler. He told Hoiberg to "coach harder" a few months after his hiring.

Now Butler is back with his former head coach in Minnesota, and he's not concerned about Chicago - save for his eventual return to the United Center.

"I got that game marked on my calendar. Feb. 9 baby, I'm back," Butler said.