Jimmy Butler will have options during the offseason

Outside of Chicago, teams are already preparing possible maximum-salary offer sheets for Butler in free agency, including the Los Angeles Lakers as one of several expected suitors, league sources told RealGM. Even Butler’s college area connection, the Milwaukee Bucks, will have cap space in July. Around the league, there’s a question: How will Chicago handle the inevitable max out of a star player not named Rose?

For now, Butler has made clear his desire, and the Bulls will assuredly match anything, anyway. Here’s a breakthrough star in the regular season, and an even bigger performer in the postseason. He’s a main reason these Bulls believe they have an opportunity to defeat LeBron, but James has been persistent in his bounce-back outputs ever since those 2011 Finals.