Minnesota Timberwolves rumor: Trading for Jimmy Butler

If the Minnesota Timberwolves are able to acquire Jimmy Butler, it would accelerate their timeline.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have a lot of paths available to them this offseason in regards to the draft and free agency. Now, it appears they are also pursuing Jimmy Butler via trade once more.

Ever since Tom Thibodeau was hired by the Timberwolves as the President of Basketball Operations and Head Coach, it’s only been natural to speculate about any number of past Chicago Bulls’ players to join Minnesota.

Although, none of those speculations, with the exception of Derrick Rose, has much weight behind them.

Until now that is. Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the Timberwolves and Bulls are engaging in preliminary trade talks centered around Butler.

This is incredible news for Minnesota and their fans and would be astonishing if it actually happens. Minnesota doesn’t have enough quality assets to compete with the Boston Celtics and their plethora of attractive draft picks without giving up one of their three budding stars. Which brings us to a question, what would the Wolves give up in order to obtain Jimmy Butler?

Naturally, we all believe Ricky Rubio would be a part of any deal involving Butler. However, there is one hitch in that plan. The Bulls already have a pass-first, non-shooting point guard on their roster in Rajon Rondo. So you can basically cross Rubio off the list of assets involved in this trade unless the Bulls send Rondo back over to the Wolves.

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The other expected trade chip to be used in a Butler deal is the Timberwolves’ No. 7 overall pick. That is automatic in any trade involving a player of Butler’s caliber but it’s not nearly enough on its own.

This means Minnesota will have to attach at least another first round pick. If I had to guess they would send over next year’s first rounder if it falls between 1-14. Minnesota already owes their first round pick to Atlanta if it falls outside of the lottery. That stands true until 2020 where it will convert to two second-round picks.

That first-round dynamic makes it difficult for Minnesota to send the Bulls a pick because it may not be conveyed until 2020. However, even another first-rounder won’t be enough for Chicago.

The final piece to any Timberwolves-Bulls trade would be a player of near-star caliber. Minnesota just so happens to have three of them in Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach LaVine.

Towns is out of the picture as he has potential top-5 NBA player written all over his game. He also has two years left on his rookie contract, making him controllable and even more attractive.

That leaves Wiggins and LaVine. One of these two players will almost certainly be involved in any trade bringing Butler back to this side of the Mississippi.

Next: Minnesota Timberwolves: 5 best draft trades

I’m sure there is a lot more moving pieces to any Timberwolves-Bulls trade but expect this year’s first-rounder, another first-round pick and either LaVine or Wiggins to be included in any package for Jimmy Butler.