The Jimmy Butler Contract Situation Explained

Scoot26

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Blogabull has posted an excellent explanation, as well as a infographic for those who do not understand Jimmy's free agency situation.

For those who still do not get it:
BUTLER CAN ONLY SIGN:
-1 year Qualifying Offer with the Chicago Bulls
-3 year max deal offer with the Chicago Bulls if he rejects the MQO
-5 year max deal offer with the Chicago Bulls if he accepts the MQO
-3 year max deal with another team if he rejects the MQO and the Bulls will likely match any offer.


THAT IS ALL JIMMY BUTLER CAN DO.

Jimmy Butler won a bet on himself once already, turning down at least $40 million last fall to become a restricted free agent this summer. Now Butler will have to decide just how much money he's willing to risk to bet on himself once again.

On Monday, the Bulls extended Butler both the qualifying offer and the max qualifying offer, according to Eric Pincus. This means that Butler can accept a five-year deal from the Bulls worth approximately $90 million, or sign an offer sheet with another team that now must be for a minimum of three years. Or, if Butler doesn't want to be under contract in Chicago through the 2017-18 season, he can accept the one-year qualifying offer from the Bulls for $4 million next season, then become an unrestricted free agent the following summer.

The Hungarian Jordan already made a flow chart and posted it in the comments of an earlier thread:
Butler_flow_chart.0.jpg


There have been reports that Butler wants to play for the Lakers and/or get away from Derrick Rose, but the only way he can gain control of his immediate future is by turning down either $51 million for three years or $90 million for five years to make about $4 million next season. For a player who has made only ("only") $5.2 million in the first four years of his career, it's certainly a difficult decision.

Butler has battled a variety of injuries throughout his career. This season he endured a sprained thumb, a sprained elbow, a shoulder strain and an injured calf. During the 2013-14 season, he battled turf toe and bruised ribs.

If Butler does decide to play on the qualifying offer, like Greg Monroe did last season, it's going to create a lot of tension heading into next season. The Rose-Butler relationship will come under the microscope, the Lakers rumors will grow stronger and an All-Star who the Bulls drafted and developed could be out of the organization after only five years.

From the Bulls' perspective, either a three-year or five-year deal would be considered a win. It would mean he's either tied down through his age-28 season or his age-30 season. Of course, Butler and his representatives know the new TV money entering the league is going to make the salary cap skyrocket the next two offseasons.

Does Butler want to turn down money now to chase what could be a $200 million payday in a few years? Wojnarowski speculated a max deal could be worth $190 million in 2017, so it stands to reason there's potentially well over $200 million in guaranteed money awaiting Butler if he takes the three-year deal and keeps playing like an All-Star.

This is the biggest question mark facing the Bulls' future right now. So long as Butler decides not to play on the qualifying offer, Chicago can rest easy.


AGAIN.

BUTLER CAN ONLY SIGN:
-1 year Qualifying Offer with the Chicago Bulls
-3 year max deal offer with the Chicago Bulls if he rejects the MQO
-5 year max deal offer with the Chicago Bulls if he accepts the MQO
-3 year max deal with another team if he rejects the MQO and the Bulls will likely match any offer.

THAT IS ALL JIMMY BUTLER CAN DO.
 

Axl Rose

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he postponed all vists so it looks like he'll accept the 5 year max
 

Crystallas

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He can only sign max contracts? I thought it's still possible for him to take a discount. Not talking about what is likely/probable to happen, talking about what is possible.
 

Scoot26

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He can only sign max contracts? I thought it's still possible for him to take a discount. Not talking about what is likely/probable to happen, talking about what is possible.
From my understanding, only with the Bulls could that be negotiated. But much of the Max qualifying offer pretty much just gives Jimmy a max on everything.
 

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The best financial decision for Jimmy is to take the 3 year max and be a free agent in 2018 when he has 10 years in league, or 7, anyway I read it will be a marker basically and he can sign 150 million contract in 2018.

He was offered 40 last year. Now its 90. He should take the 50 for 3 years, and then get a contract over 100 bringing him to 150. But when you have 5 total, you can't take 4 and leave a guaranteed 50 on the table and then run around on your knees. Jesus. He needs to take the 3 and a guaranteed 50 his grandkids will be just fine. You take that one, and you gamble you will be a top free agent again in 3 years if you keep working hard. that will be the right time for the Bulls to either make him the franchise or move on anyway. I hope Butler does the right thing for himself.

It will be a messy 1 year if he does that. Can you imagine? He will probably sit out with fake injuries. We'll have to trade him.
 

Alpha Male

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The best financial decision for Jimmy is to take the 3 year max and be a free agent in 2018 when he has 10 years in league, or 7, anyway I read it will be a marker basically and he can sign 150 million contract in 2018.

He was offered 40 last year. Now its 90. He should take the 50 for 3 years, and then get a contract over 100 bringing him to 150. But when you have 5 total, you can't take 4 and leave a guaranteed 50 on the table and then run around on your knees. Jesus. He needs to take the 3 and a guaranteed 50 his grandkids will be just fine. You take that one, and you gamble you will be a top free agent again in 3 years if you keep working hard. that will be the right time for the Bulls to either make him the franchise or move on anyway. I hope Butler does the right thing for himself.

It will be a messy 1 year if he does that. Can you imagine? He will probably sit out with fake injuries. We'll have to trade him.

Correct me if I am wrong, but a player playing on a QO has to agree to a trade.
 

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Correct me if I am wrong, but a player playing on a QO has to agree to a trade.
You are correct. A QO player has veto rights to any trades because they would lose Bird rights.
 

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You are correct. A QO player has veto rights to any trades because they would lose Bird rights.

you just would want to trade him at that point. If you have to take what the Lakers are willing to offer fine, but get something for him.

If he take a 1 year QO I am going to be flip out mad and its going to end badly either way it would be a dark day in Bulls history brought about by a unique set of circumstances coming to fruition including Jimmy Butler being bat sht crazy to play sports with that big of a guarantee discrepancy. He needs to get his guaranteed NBA lifetime earnings way way up to consider this bullshit.

4 and 50 is not a decision you can make. Nobody does that.
 

czman

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From my understanding, only with the Bulls could that be negotiated. But much of the Max qualifying offer pretty much just gives Jimmy a max on everything.

Since Butler is coming off of his rookie scale contract and a FA the Bulls have the right to make him a restricted FA. If the Bulls offer Butler a qualifying offer, I think it is 150% of his previous years salary, Butler becomes a restricted FA. The offer is a 1 year deal. Butler can then take that deal, or look for another deal.

If he looks for another deal, with the Bulls or with another team, he can choose to sign that deal. If the deal is with the Bulls the deal is sighed. If the deal is with another team it gets slippery.

Example. Butler signs an offer sheet with the Lakers for 4 years 60 million (just throwing numbers out). The Bulls have 3 days to match the offer, and Butler's qualifying offer counts against the teams cap. The full contract the the Lakers offered would count against the Lakers cap until the Bulls decide what to do. The Bulls can try to work a sign and trade, but it cannot be to the team that offered the contract to Butler, in this example the Lakers. Now Butler and the Lakers can agree in principle, but do not actual sign and submit any papers, the Bulls could still work out a sign and trade with the Lakers.

From what I understand, the Bulls have already offered the qualifying offer and made Butler a restricted FA. At this point he can sign any offer/contract he wants. He can sign a 3 year 45 mil deal.

If Butler signs a multi year offer sheet with another team the Bulls will get a discount, since no one can offer Butler as much money as the Bulls. The Bulls can sign Butler for under a full max contract still and Butler can still take under the max. All the Bulls have really done is force teams to give Butler a 3rd year. The only real difference in qualifying offers is if a player can sign a minimum 2 or 3 year deal offer sheet.

If Butler is trying to become a FA as soon as possible, has two options. Take the 3 year deal and for what he can get or play one year and become an unrestricted FA.

If I am the Bulls I hope he signs an offer sheet someone where for 3 years so I can get him for less money and just match it. A 5 year max deal for Butler would probably be viewed as a mistake 4 years in.
 

Chicago4Life

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jimmy is going to take a 3yr deal with a player option for a 4th year. It puts him in prime position to land a huge 100+ mill plus deal. If he wanted to help the team financially he would just straight up take the max offer giving the bulls more cap space to build a contender but that seems unlikely to happen.
 

Scoot26

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Since Butler is coming off of his rookie scale contract and a FA the Bulls have the right to make him a restricted FA. If the Bulls offer Butler a qualifying offer, I think it is 150% of his previous years salary, Butler becomes a restricted FA. The offer is a 1 year deal. Butler can then take that deal, or look for another deal.

If he looks for another deal, with the Bulls or with another team, he can choose to sign that deal. If the deal is with the Bulls the deal is sighed. If the deal is with another team it gets slippery.

Example. Butler signs an offer sheet with the Lakers for 4 years 60 million (just throwing numbers out). The Bulls have 3 days to match the offer, and Butler's qualifying offer counts against the teams cap. The full contract the the Lakers offered would count against the Lakers cap until the Bulls decide what to do. The Bulls can try to work a sign and trade, but it cannot be to the team that offered the contract to Butler, in this example the Lakers. Now Butler and the Lakers can agree in principle, but do not actual sign and submit any papers, the Bulls could still work out a sign and trade with the Lakers.

From what I understand, the Bulls have already offered the qualifying offer and made Butler a restricted FA. At this point he can sign any offer/contract he wants. He can sign a 3 year 45 mil deal.

If Butler signs a multi year offer sheet with another team the Bulls will get a discount, since no one can offer Butler as much money as the Bulls. The Bulls can sign Butler for under a full max contract still and Butler can still take under the max. All the Bulls have really done is force teams to give Butler a 3rd year. The only real difference in qualifying offers is if a player can sign a minimum 2 or 3 year deal offer sheet.

If Butler is trying to become a FA as soon as possible, has two options. Take the 3 year deal and for what he can get or play one year and become an unrestricted FA.

If I am the Bulls I hope he signs an offer sheet someone where for 3 years so I can get him for less money and just match it. A 5 year max deal for Butler would probably be viewed as a mistake 4 years in.

With the salary cap largely increasing in the next few years, a max now is nothing in 2-3 years. One of the biggest reasons Jimmy is looking for only a 3 year contract right now.
 

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Butler should just sign somewhere else for a year until the cap goes up...:shibe:
 

Menchifus

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Kawhi just signed for 5/90. I feel Butler is at best equal to or slightly worse than Kawhi. Butler would be stupid to take a 1/4. Minimum he should take is 3/50 and shoot for one more max contract at age 28. Or he can just do what Kawhi did and sign the 5/90. Injuries are so common and all it takes is a torn ACL to see his payday vanish.

Here's the thing about Butler. I think we've seen his ceiling. He's never going to be a superstar on the Curry, Harden, James, Bryant level. Also, keep in mind he got his stats playing 40 minutes per game. If he drops down to 32-34 minutes per game, his numbers won't look as good.
 

cjswan232482

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Kawhi just signed for 5/90. I feel Butler is at best equal to or slightly worse than Kawhi. Butler would be stupid to take a 1/4. Minimum he should take is 3/50 and shoot for one more max contract at age 28. Or he can just do what Kawhi did and sign the 5/90. Injuries are so common and all it takes is a torn ACL to see his payday vanish.

Here's the thing about Butler. I think we've seen his ceiling. He's never going to be a superstar on the Curry, Harden, James, Bryant level. Also, keep in mind he got his stats playing 40 minutes per game. If he drops down to 32-34 minutes per game, his numbers won't look as good.

Dont underestimate the positive effect Hoiberg's offense will have on Butler's game. Who says he cant average more points in less minutes?
 

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