Jimmy Butler is the leagues Most Improved Player — a two-way monster — and set to become a rich man this offseason.
RealGM is reporting that teams are already preparing to pry Butler away from the Bulls, even as the shooting guard and his team battle the Cavs for the right to play in the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Lakers are one several teams set to make Butler a max offer.
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?
The Bulls — for the better part of two-years — have made it clear that they would match any offer made to Butler.