Derrick Rose was traded to the New York Knicks one week ago, and with the deal, the Chicago Bulls officially became Jimmy Butler's team. No matter how many times Butler denied rumors of a feud between he and Rose, it was clear that, at some point, the Bulls' front office would need to choose one or the other.
Earlier today, Butler appeared on ESPN's The Jump and echoed that same sentiment. "They called me," he said. "I can’t say I was surprised, but I knew it had to be one of us, to tell you the truth. Obviously, I enjoyed playing with him. I came into the league when he was the MVP. I got so much respect for the guy. I have no bad things to say about him, and I wish him the best moving forward."
Since the trade, Butler has been nothing but respectful to Rose, even acknowledging the same work ethic that reportedly drove a wedge between he and the 2011 NBA MVP.
But, like many other people, Tracy McGrady was also wondering why one of them HAD to be traded. What did Butler have to say about that? "I have no idea."
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