The chances of the Chicago Bulls trading star forward Jimmy Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves seemed slim to begin with, and that was before we knew what the Bulls reportedly would want in return.
Any return package must include Andrew Wiggins, the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and the 2014-15 Rookie of the Year.
Darren Wolfson of 1500 ESPN passed along the news.
Wiggins, who averaged 20.7 points per game this past season, is five years younger and costs less than Butler, so there’s not much incentive for the T-Wolves to make this deal. Wiggins and 2015 No. 1 overall draft pick Karl-Anthony Towns have formed one of the league’s best young duos, and they should rise to new heights under new Minnesota head coach Tom Thibodeau.
The bottom line is the Timberwolves have a bright future, and there’s no reason for them to accelerate their rebuild when competing for a championship isn’t a realistic target for next season, anyway.
A more realistic option for Chicago — if it really wants to move Butler — is shipping him to Boston for the No. 3 pick in this month’s draft and a few young players.
Thumbnail photo via Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports Images
