The Minnesota Timberwolves have become an exponentially better team than they were a year ago, and it looks like their new head coach and president, Tom Thibodeau, is trying to keep that trajectory going.
ESPN published a report yesterday stating that the Timberwolves are “prepared” to ship the 5th overall pick in this month’s NBA Draft along with other pieces to the Chicago Bulls in exchange for their star shooting guard Jimmy Butler, who happens to be one of the five best two-way players in the league.
Considering Derrick Rose‘s decline, it would appear that the Bulls would be focused on making sure Butler doesn’t leave, especially if his growth over the last two years continues into next season. However, the consensus around the team is that they cannot win with the team they currently have, and sports analysts and writers alike believe they’re better off blowing up the team, a process that would certainly begin with moving the All-Star guard.
The Timberwolves on the other hand, stand to benefit greatly from this potential trade. Butler’s ascent began under Thibodeau’s watchful eye, and he’ll have a much more potent roster surrounding him in Minnesota. How potent? How about the last two winners of the Rookie of the Year award, Andrew Wiggins and Karl Anthony-Towns, a quickly-developing Ricky Rubio and the veteran, championship-tested presence of Kevin Garnett.
Watch out for those Wolves.
