Jimmy Butler bids farewell to Derrick Rose with touching IG post

A blockbuster trade went down in the NBA on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila), which sent Chicago Bulls fan favorite Derrick Rose to the New York Knicks in a multiplayer swap.

His backcourt mate, Jimmy Butler, penned a heartfelt goodbye to the former MVP on Instagram.

My point guard, my brother: you taught me so much since I came into this league as a 21 year old kid from Marquette. For me, coming to Chicago to play and learn from you, an MVP, was eye-opening. You helped shape me into the player I am today. Helped teach me the work ethic needed to excel in this league. You are a leader, thru and thru. Always a supportive teammate and friend. I’ll always be thankful for the opportunity I had to play alongside you each night and I know you’re going to continue to be the great player and leader you were in Chicago for years to come.

A photo posted by Jimmy Butler (@jimmybutler) on Jun 22, 2016 at 6:16pm PDT

In the post, the 6’7 swingman credits Rose for showing him the ropes as a rookie and being a supportive teammate throughout his tenure with the Bulls.

While Butler’s post certainly feels heartwarming, it’s not unrealistic to believe that his message was also an attempt to defuse earlier reports the two were not fond of each other—which might have been attributed to the Bulls’ on-court struggles throughout the season.

Rose, who’s the youngest MVP in league history at 22 years and 5 months old, is coming off an underwhelming season with the Bulls after being hampered by devastating injuries in consecutive seasons.

Butler, a two-time All-Star, emerged as the Bulls’ leader during Rose’s absence, and was named to the NBA All-Defensive second team for the third straight year. Khristian Ibarrola