<> during the second half at TD Garden on December 9, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. The Celtics defeat the Bulls 105-100.

Jimmy Butler will miss the next three to four weeks with a left knee strain, putting the Chicago Bulls’ season in a state of flux.

At 27-24, the Bulls are in seventh place in the Eastern Conference, 2.5 games behind the Boston Celtics for third but just 1.5 games clear of the ninth-seeded Charlotte Hornets. Not much separates a first round home series and a spot in the lottery out East right now.

With Butler likely out until March— he’s being replaced on the East’s All-Star team by teammate Pau Gasol— it will be interesting to see if Chicago can remain afloat while Butler sits out.

It’s hard to overstate how heavily the Bulls rely on Butler, which started under Tom Thibodeau and has continued under first-year coach Fred Hoiberg. Butler leads the NBA in minutes per game, at 37.9, the third straight year where he’s either led the league in that category outright or was tied for that distinction. He also leads the team in scoring at 22.4 points per game, is 10th in the league in win shares and sixth in the NBA in made free throws.

Chicago has lost two of the three regular season games Butler has missed this season. The Bulls’ have played 35 regular season games without Butler dating back to the beginning of the 2013-2014 season, winning just 16 of those contests.

“The past year, he’s really stepped his game up,” New York Knicks guard Arron Afflalo told The Comeback. “Hopefully he gets back healthy. He’s obviously a vital piece of their team.”

Gasol replaced Butler in the All-Star game, but right now it’s hard to envision anyone on Chicago’s roster replacing Butler’s scoring as the team is currently constructed. Do the Bulls try to swing a trade for a scorer?

Gasol has a $7.7 million player option for next season that he’ll likely decline, essentially making him a free agent this summer. He’s their best conceivable trade chip right now, especially given Derrick Rose’s injury history.

Even with the return of Mike Dunleavy from a back injury, Chicago’s frontcourt depth is currently weak with Joakim Noah out following shoulder surgery and Nikola Mirotic recovering from a recent appendectomy. Taj Gibson is on a team-friendly contract through next season, so he may make the most sense if Chicago wants to make a trade prior to the Feb. 18 deadline.

If the Bulls stand pat with their current roster, are they in danger of missing the playoffs if Butler is out for an extended period? It certainly can’t be ruled out. The good thing is that there may only be one or two teams in the East that can legitimately knock Chicago out of the playoff picture, even if they go in the tank while Butler is out.

<> during the first quarter at TD Garden on January 22, 2016 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.
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Charlotte is 4-2 since Michael Kidd-Gilchrist returned from a torn labrum and looks like the Hornets could put themselves in good shape for a playoff berth if a team falls out. Washington has the talent to make a run late in the season, but have lost eight of 12 and head coach Randy Wittman could be on the chopping block if things don’t improve. Orlando is 4-15 in 2016 and is reportedly thinking about dramatically altering the make-up of this team before the trade deadline.

Two of those Orlando wins just came in a home-and-home with Atlanta, which is reportedly considering breaking up the core of a team that won 60 games last season. If they go through with that, the Hawks could possibly be in danger of missing the postseason too.

So unless Washington or New York get their acts together, it’s essentially a nine-team race for eight playoff spots. It only takes one of these teams to falter to allow Chicago to make the playoffs.

Winning in the playoffs, even with Butler, might be a different story given all the issues in Chicago this year. But first, they need to get there. Butler’s absence will pose a huge challenge to the Bulls on both ends of the floor, but it just doesn’t seem like there are many teams right now poised to knock them out of the playoffs in the Eastern Conference.

About Shlomo Sprung

Shlomo Sprung is a writer and columnist for Awful Announcing. He's also a senior contributor at Forbes and writes at FanSided, SI Knicks, YES Network and other publications.. A 2011 graduate of Columbia University’s Journalism School, he has previously worked for the New York Knicks, Business Insider, Sporting News and Major League Baseball. You should follow him on Twitter.