NBA executive says it’s either “Boston or Cleveland” for Jimmy Butler

We don’t know where Chicago Bulls star Jimmy Butler will end up this offseason but it’s becoming more and more likely that he’s getting traded. After speculation that the Boston Celtics, Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers are interested, a report on Tuesday stated Butler preferred one of those teams. For a deal with Cleveland to work, there would have to be a third team involved. Possibly the Phoenix Suns. On Tuesday, Bulls insider Vincent Goodwill wrote a piece on the Bulls process and says the team has been actively shopping Butler. There are some interesting parts to that story. According to Goodwill, the Bulls proposed a deal to Boston sending Butler for the No. 3 overall pick straight up. The Celtics turned it down according to the report. Both teams have been active in the trade talks since the 2016 season with Butler seemingly being a perfect fit for a team that finished with the best regular season record in the Eastern Conference. But they couldn’t get over the hump and beat Cleveland. Butler pushes that needle but the team they want to dethrone in the East is another landing spot for Butler. That brings us to a part of Goodwills story where an NBA executive spoke on the situation:

The Bulls were rebuffed on an offer to the Celtics for the third pick straight-up, but bringing the Cavaliers to the table could increase the quality of offers for Butler, who would be eligible for a deal in the $40 million range annually if he makes another All-NBA team next season. One would think the Bulls’ reluctance at paying a contract that large on a team that will continue to be in the middle of the draft plays a part in their decision. As one league executive texted last night, “It’s either Boston or Cleveland but he’s going.”

So there you go. It’s either going to be Boston or Cleveland, the two teams that have shown the most interest so far. Of course, that could all change if another team enters the mix.