The Chicago Bulls’ roster looks tremendously different than it did last season. They traded Derrick Rose, lost Joakim Noah in free agency, and signed both Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade for two years each. There have long been reports of tension between Rose and Bulls star Jimmy Butler, so some may assume that Butler had something to do with Rose being traded. Butler disagrees. From ESPN:
“That has nothing to do with me. I don’t move guys,” Butler said before Thursday’s Team USA practice at the United Center in Chicago. “It’s like I always say: People are going to think what they want to think.
“That doesn’t bother me. I know where I stand. I know who I am.”
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“I’m happy for [Rose]. He’s happy for me,” Butler said. “I’m glad we get to go against each other whatever day that may be when the season rolls around.
“I talked to Jo. We texted a few messages. Nothing too serious, but we’re always going to have love for each other because we’re always going to be teammates. We were in those trenches together.
While Butler is correct that he did not personally trade Rose, he did previously say that he “knew that it had to be one of us,” which does make it sound as though in a way, he was somewhat responsible for Rose being traded; the Bulls chose Butler over Rose.
