CHICAGO -- The big smile on Jimmy Butler's face said just as much as the words coming out of his mouth on Thursday inside the United Center. The relief and excitement came easy for the Marquette alumnus after officially signing a five-year max extension worth over $90 million.
"Chicago is where I wanted to be," Butler said.
After turning down a four-year offer worth over $40 million before last year's Oct. 31 deadline for extensions, Butler took his game to an entirely new level. The 25-year-old became an All-Star for the first time in his career and averaged 20.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists a game for the 2014-15 season.
As a restricted free agent this summer, there was speculation around the league that Butler wanted to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, but the Bulls made sure Butler wasn't going anywhere for the foreseeable future when they offered him the five-year max extension. The deal has a player opt-out after the fourth year, but Butler sounds outwardly like a man who wants to stay in Chicago for a long time.
"I love playing here," Butler said. "I love this city, the fans like me a little bit. ... But rumors are rumors. I guess that's what they're there for, to entertain y'all."
Speaking of rumors, Butler tried to downplay any perceived friction between himself and star point guard Derrick Rose, a storyline that has gained some traction since the season ended after reports of tension between the pair.
"I think we play well on the court together," Butler said. "With the more time we're out there together, we'll definitely get better at it. Off the floor, he has a son, so he has a family he has to take care of. I'm with my brothers a lot of the time, but when we have a chance we'll hang around each other. But I feel like we spend enough time together on the court. So I think when you're off the court you go your separate ways a little bit."
On the court, Butler is convinced that he and Rose can form the best backcourt in the NBA.
"I think we can play off of each other well," Butler said. "Especially with the offense we're going to be running now. We both get out in transition, we can both score and we can both get the ball to the open guy. I think that's what team players do, and he's really good at that. I'm pretty good at it, too. So I like our chances of being the best backcourt [in the NBA]."
Butler acknowledged that he "was extremely nervous" after turning down the Bulls' offer in October, but he sounds determined to make himself an even better player than he showed last season. The Bulls are hoping Butler can take the next step in his evolution as a player as well.
"We think it's a big win for both sides," Bulls general manager Gar Forman said. "Obviously, it's a huge win for Jimmy in that he's getting a max contract that he's worked so hard for. He deserves it, he's earned it. From the Bulls' standpoint, it's a big win for us. We're getting a guy that we feel is one of the better young two-way players in the NBA."
For a player whose journey has been compared to basketball's version of "The Blind Side," the pride Butler showed after signing the big extension was palpable.
"It feels great, to tell you the truth," Butler said. "I think more than anything that it just shows how hard that I worked, so I'm as proud of myself as my trainer and my agents and my brothers, but I still think I have, seriously, a long way to go. I want to help win a championship, as many as I can while I'm still of age. I'm not getting any younger, I'm getting older, so we got to get that done as soon as possible."
Butler is looking forward to going back to San Diego to get some more training in before the season. Both he and the Bulls can focus on improving under new head coach Fred Hoiberg now that Butler's contract extension has been taken care of.
"It was pretty easy," Butler said. "We've been talking all year long about getting a deal done anyways. So when the date hit, it was a no-brainer. I knew where I wanted to be. I knew I was wanted here. And that's all anybody ever wanted was to be wanted."