With Derrick Rose constantly struggling to stay on the court and Joakim Noah battling an ankle injury, Jimmy Butler is the major reason the Chicago Bulls are in first place in the NBA's Central Division ahead of LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Butler leads the Bulls in scoring, free throws, steals and games started this NBA season.

The 25-year-old shooting guard is having his best season to date. This year Butler is averaging 20.1 points per game and is shooting an outstanding 83.4 percent from the free throw line. Standing 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, Butler also has been a great rebounder and defender. Butler is widely considered one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA today, drawing many comparisons to former Bulls great Scottie Pippen.

Butler previously rejected Chicago's final offer on a long term deal back in October. It was a huge risk, but it has paid off big time so far. The offer was for four years ,and it was worth up to $44 million. It's not very often someone turns down that kind of money.

Butler turned down the offer because he knew he could make more on the open market with his skillset. So far, this season proves just that. This season Butler is scheduled to make just over $2 million. After this year, Butler will become a restricted free agent.

According to multiple reports, the Los Angeles Lakers have shown a lot of interest in Butler. The Lakers will enter this upcoming offseason with an estimated $27 million in salary cap space. With Jeremy Lin and Steve Nash set to become free agents and Kobe Bryant entering the final stage of his career, the Lakers need young talent.

It will be difficult for the Lakers to get a hold of Butler because the Bulls won't want to let him go. Butler is young, and he knows the Bulls' system. But, Chicago has to be careful they don't overspend this offseason. Keeping a balanced squad with Noah, Rose and Pau Gasol isn't easy. Giving Butler a max contract would be harmful to the Bulls salary cap and could prohibit them from making future offseason moves and trades.

Sometimes avoiding the big max contract is the best option -- ask the New York Knicks and San Antonio Spurs, who have two completely different managerial methods and two completely different outcomes.

Obviously the Lakers have to throw everything they have at Butler. The Lakers (12-33) are a team with no bright future ahead of them, and their defense ranks 29th in the league. Playing in the Western Conference means you have to face top-notch players like Stephen Curry, James Harden, Kevin Durant and others, meaning you need top quality defenders. Having Butler paired with Nick Young could be the first step in the Lakers' rebuilding process.

Butler is a good player who plays great defense, but is he worthy of a max contract? Maybe for the right team and circumstances. Butler certainly isn't a "superstar," but he can definitely help a team. Butler isn't an elite scorer or perimeter shooter, and he still doesn't have an impressive playoff portfolio to speak of. The Bulls have to be cautious they don't overspend because they have so many good players, whereas Los Angeles has more options because of a less talented roster.

The Lakers will also target Kawhi Leonard this offseason, another elite defender. If the Lakers want to make a move before the NBA trade deadline for young talent, they may want to contact the Oklahoma City Thunder. Reggie Jackson has been involved in multiple trade rumors lately, and the Thunder may want to get value sooner rather than later.

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