The Chicago Bulls have a franchise player in Derek Rose. He has been the face of the team since his arrival. However, the Bulls also have one of the fastest rising stars in the league who was signed to big-time money and is ready for his time in the spotlight. Reports early in the offseason stated that Rose and Butler were having a battle of egos on the court, both aiming to control the game, and it was causing tension within the team. However, as Butler cements his spot in Chicago for several more years, he is denying all drama with Rose.
CBS Chicago originally reported that there was building tension with Rose and Butler during the playoffs as the shooting guard wanted to be the primary scorer for the team. Rose's return from injury took the ball away from Butler and the two were struggling to exist at the same time on the court. However, Butler is making it clear that is certainly not the case and they are looking forward to playing together next season.
"We all know that I'll be the aggressor on defense. So from what I can tell, the guy's always been in my corner," Butler said, via ESPN's "First Take." "The only reason that it came up is because we lost. I don't think we have any beef or whatever you want to call it. I think we just want to win. We didn't win, so now [people say] we're beefing, now we have a problem with each other, and I don't think that's the case."
Butler noted that the team has a lot of leadership voices on the roster, but he believes that has helped them in the long run. Chicago is still being linked to trade talk that will likely quiet down until the mid-season deadline approaches. Joakim Noah is currently entering the final year of his contract and with Butler's deal wrapped up, there have been no reports of an extension coming the center's way. Several teams would love to acquire Noah in a trade or in free agency. He will be a big name for teams next season including the Lakers and Dallas Mavericks.
The Bulls could opt to trade Taj Gibson instead. According to the Chicago Tribune at the start of the offseason, the Bulls were aiming to find out who had the better return value in Gibson or Noah and then moving on from there. At this point, it is unlikely either player goes anywhere as most teams have their rosters set. However, fans should expect talks and interest to heat up again once the season starts.
