Bulls' Thibodeau: Butler 'real close' to returning

The reports on Jimmy Butler's recovery have been consistently positive and Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau said Saturday the shooting guard is getting real close to returning. 

Butler has missed the team's last 11 games after suffering an elbow sprain at the beginning of the month. It's been three weeks since he went down and he was said to be ahead of schedule from the injury that was supposed to keep him out for as long as six weeks. 

ESPN's Nick Friedell says it appears Butler will return next week. The Bulls face the Charlotte Hornets on Monday and play Wednesday versus the Toronto Raptors before closing out the week Saturday against the New York Knicks. 

It's looking more and more likely that the Bulls are going to have a full roster come playoff time. Taj Gibson returned Friday from an ankle sprain, and the team continues to remain optimistic that point guard Derrick Rose - who underwent his third knee operation in February - will be back on the court before the season's up. 

Butler was enjoying a breakout campaign before going down, getting selected to his first career All-Star Game and averaging a team-high 20.1 points per game.