Minnesota Timberwolves: Should Jimmy Butler be traded?
4. Milwaukee Bucks
Why the Timberwolves say yes:
This trade is sort of hard for both sides because Khris Middleton and Butler are both set to become free agents in the summer of 2019, as long as they choose to decline their respective player options. Also, Malcolm Brogdon is set to become an unrestricted free agent in 2019.
However, if you think you can win games with them and show that you have a bright future ahead, signing these players makes things a lot easier. Adding Middleton means that the Wolves would be getting a 3-and-D player — two needs that Minnesota needs sorely.
Middleton is better shooting it from mid-range, but is still a good 3-point shooter. This season, he’s averaging 35.9 percent from three on five attempts per game. Last season he shot 43.3 percent on 3.6 attempts. He’s good enough from 3-point range that the defense has to be on its toes whenever he has the ball outside the arc.
Getting Middleton would allow Minnesota to slide Wiggins to the shooting guard position full-time; he seems to play a lot better as a guard than a forward.
Getting Brogdon is a big add because he can run the offense, score and shoot the ball from distance. He’s better suited as a shooting guard, but he can play point guard as well. If Minnesota sees an opportunity for him to become the starting point guard down the line if Teague is injured or is no longer with Minnesota, then they’ll have a nice backup option in Brogdon.
Getting both of these players improves spacing and depth and that’s something that is very important for Minnesota’s success moving forward. Of course, the Wolves would also need to feel more confident in their ability to retain one or both of the players they’d be trading for over the ability to keep Butler.
Why the Bucks say yes:
The Bucks say yes because there hasn’t been a more important time for them to show Giannis Antetokounmpo that they want to win.
The roster they have now is not good enough to best the teams in the Eastern Conference. Adding Butler brings toughness and defense to the Bucks. Milwaukee would have two players in the top-15 in the league and that would be a big motivational point to keep Antetokounmpo in a Bucks jersey.
The second-round pick is very valuable, and not only for money purposes, but because this draft is so deep. There are a lot of players that can come in from the late round and still provide valuable minutes.