Bulls guard Jimmy Butler will be a restricted free agent this summer, and Chicago has the right to match any contract offered to Butler.
Yahoo! Sports reported that the Bulls guard is pursuing a short-term deal due to the salary cap increase starting in the 2016-17 season.
Butler has preliminary plans to pursue meetings with several teams once free agency starts in July, sources said. Several teams pursuing Butler told Yahoo Sports that they’re under the impression a short-term, max money offer sheet is the wisest way to approach Butler this summer.
With the salary cap increase, instead of making $90 over a five-year contract, Butler would seek a five-year max contract upwards to $190 million.
[nicelink url=http://chicago.suntimes.com/basketball/7/71/596600/lakers-jimmy-butler-offseason/]
According to Yahoo! Sports, the 25-year-old has been connected to the Los Angeles Lakers recently, since hanging out in LA with movie stars such as Mark Wahlberg.
As Butler spends time in Los Angeles this summer, a stretch that’s included an overseas Entourage promotional jaunt with producer Mark Wahlberg, Butler’s intrigue with signing a potential Los Angeles Lakers offer sheet has increased, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Butler averaged 20 points, five rebounds and three assists last season, and was named the NBA’a Most Improved Player.