The Minnesota Timberwolves traded Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn, and the No. 7 pick to the Chicago Bulls for Jimmy Butler and the No. 16 pick. The Bulls then used the seventh pick to take sharpshooting big man Lauri Markkanen out of Gonzaga, while the Wolves used the No. 16 pick on Justin Patton from Creighton.
The trade reunites Butler with Minnesota head coach Tom Thibodeau, who was Butler’s head coach in Chicago for the first four years of his career.
The pressure is on Andrew Wiggins after the Jimmy Butler trade
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesThe Timberwolves made the biggest draft day trade on Thursday when they shipped out Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 pick (Lauri Markkanen) to the Bulls for Jimmy Butler. With a core of Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins coached by Tom Thibodeau, Minnesota figures to jump into the West’s top eight and contend for a playoff appearance.
But in order to do so, the Timberwolves need their complementary stars to step up. And while Towns showed promise his sophomore season after winning Rookie of the Year in 2016, it’s Wiggins who needs to become the star many believed he’d develop into when he went No. 1 overall in 2014.
Read Article >Dwyane Wade and the Bulls have an interesting problem
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty ImagesOn Tuesday, Dwyane Wade told the Bulls he would pick up his player option worth $24 million for the 2017-18 season. When asked by the media about his decision, Wade said he had, “24 million reasons” to make the decision.
On Thursday, the Bulls traded Jimmy Butler for young players and a higher pick in the 2017 NBA draft, who ended up being Arizona stretch forward Lauri Markkanen. This constitutes a distinct shift in direction for Chicago.
Read Article >NBA draft grades: Timberwolves win
Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY SportsOne huge blockbuster trade loomed over the 2017 NBA Draft, and it wasn’t the one involving the No. 1 overall pick.
The Sixers grabbed the chance to draft Markelle Fultz No. 1 overall in a big, early trade with the Celtics, giving up No. 3 and a future pick. Fultz was a consensus No. 1 for most of the past year, and should make a big impact in Philadelphia.
Read Article >Timberwolves want Paul George or Jimmy Butler, per report
Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY SportsPaul George or Jimmy Butler might be headed north if Minnesota gets its wish. The Timberwolves are actively showing interest in trading for one of those two, according to The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, with both potentially on the move this summer.
The Timberwolves weren’t good last season, falling short of lofty expectations by winning just 31 games. But their core, led by 21-year-old Karl-Anthony Towns and 22-year-old Andrew Wiggins, is extremely promising.
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