Bulls All-Star guard Jimmy Butler addressed trade rumors Thursday night, after helping lead Chicago to a critical 103-100 road win against the Houston Rockets.
Butler says he’ll be in the Windy City for many more years.
Head coach Fred Hoiberg also shot down the notion of a possible rift with the fiery Butler.
Per ESPN:
Butler, who signed a five-year max contract worth over $90 million with the Bulls last summer, made it clear that he wants to stay — and win — in Chicago for the long haul. […] “That’s why I’m here,” Butler said. “I don’t plan on going anywhere. I can’t control what everybody else does. I know that this is the city that I love, Chicago. And I want to wear that jersey. I want to wear that name on the front, and I wear it proudly. All I got to do is continue to control what I can control. That’s try to help this team win games.”
Chicago is one game behind the Indiana Pacers for the eighth and last spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. […] “To tell you the truth, I don’t pay attention to the rumors,” Butler said. “Somebody sent [the story] to me today, and I just clicked off of it. I mean, why am I getting in [to the speculation]? I can’t control it. I can’t say don’t do this or don’t do that. That’s not my job. If I do what I’m supposed to do on the floor, then everything else takes care of itself. I’m a firm believer in that.”
Butler rubbed some of his veteran teammates the wrong way earlier in the season by trying to assert himself as more of the vocal leader and face of the Bulls. Butler said it wasn’t relevant whether his teammates were behind him in those efforts. […] “I don’t know,” he said. “I don’t think it matters. Everybody just needs to be on the same page. We can all be on the same level as long as we win. No matter who’s following who, who’s leading, we’ll be in the playoffs. So we’ll take care of that then.”
