Several NBA players like Alec Burks, Klay Thompson and Ricky Rubio signed huge contract extensions with their respective NBA teams before the deadline Friday. Chicago Bulls forward Jimmy Butler could have been one of them, but turned down the offer.
It looks like Butler will be betting on himself this season in order to make more money than what he was offered Friday.
“It came down to me deciding that I want to bet on myself,” Butler said, via Yahoo Sports. “It was about me believing that I put the work in this summer to become a better player with the hope that my improvement will give the Bulls a better chance to win a championship.”
Butler was likely given one of those "hometown discount" type of deals, which probably leads to why he didn't take the deal. He believes he can make more in the offseason, where he will become a restricted free agent.
Butler's agent, Happy Walters, had some words for the Chicago franchise though.
“All the [rookie extension] deals done so far have shown that teams are building around their stars of the future, and they’re compensating those players as such,” he said. “I was under the impression Jimmy was also viewed as one of those future building blocks with the Bulls.
“We tried like heck to get something done, but ultimately, the Bulls wanted a ‘hometown’ discount. While understandable, I doubt their GM or coaches give Mr. Reinsdorf a discount when negotiating their own deals.”
We'll see if Butler gets the deal he wants after the season.
(H/T BSO)
