Report: Butler still at odds with Hoiberg

Though the Chicago Bulls appeared to patch up an organizational rift with a spirited team healing session last month, and the front office opting to keep the band together by holding onto All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler at the trade deadline, it appears there's still something rotten in Denmark.

Butler and head coach Fred Hoiberg have yet to resolve their longstanding disconnect, and "the belief persists in front office circles that Butler is no fan of Hoiberg," according to Bleacher Report's Ken Berger.

One rival scout told Berger that he's noticed Butler, along with Rajon Rondo and Dwyane Wade, ignoring Hoiberg's play calls from the sideline. One such incident seemed to be caught on camera this past January, in the final minute of a two-point game, when Butler appeared to sneer at Hoiberg's suggestion that he call a timeout.

"That becomes infectious," the scout said.

Butler's relationship with his coach has seemed tenuous almost since Hoiberg replaced Tom Thibodeau before last season. Butler called him out just a couple months into his tenure on the Bulls' bench for not coaching with a firm enough hand, and the team's in-fighting this season seemed to speak to Hoiberg's lack of control over the locker room.

Recently, Rondo has joined the chorus, taking a veiled shot at Hoiberg for experimenting with lineups at this late juncture of the season. The situation appears destined to reach a tipping point sooner than later.

"Having scouted (Hoiberg) a bunch, you can see it," the scout told Berger. "He's laid back, he's relaxed, and he's not going to rip into people. It doesn't seem like he has the respect of his entire team."