This is the first installment in a five-part series where we'll be discussing whether or not five of the NBA's biggest free agents are worth maximum-salary contracts. We'll start today with Chicago Bulls swingman Jimmy Butler.
Last October, Jimmy Butler turned down what was reported (by the Chicago Sun-Times) to be a four-year, $40-plus million contract extension from the Chicago Bulls, betting that his play during the 2014-15 season would be good enough to command a much larger offer during the summer of 2015.
Butler had dealt with multiple injuries throughout the 2013-14 campaign—he missed 15 games and appeared hobbled in the 67 he played.