Minnesota Timberwolves: Jimmy Butler trade scenario to the New York Knicks
By Trey Flynn
With several NBA outlets writing about the rumor of Jimmy Butler leaving the Minnesota Timberwolves for the New York Knicks, I felt it necessary to try and get something out of him while we can … theoretically.
Our own, Ben Beecken (Co-Expert), detailed 30-some ESPN analysts having a majority prediction of Butler leaving the Minnesota Timberwolves for New York next summer. In fact, a whopping 42.4 percent believe that Butler will take his talents to New York in the hope Kyrie Irving goes there as well.
While I’ve written too many Jimmy Butler trade pieces to count, it’s an interesting topic. If so many renown analysts have Butler leaving next summer, why not try and trade him to the supposed destination in mind?
The New York Knicks have some really interesting assets, mostly in young players and draft picks.
What trade could work? Peek below:
Blockbuster trade moves Butler to New York for some veteran talent and draft picks
While most regular NBA fans would see this as moving an All-Star for a rental contract – that is funny on Twitter – and an overpaid shooting guard in Tim Hardaway Jr., in reality, it’s a better package than most teams can potentially offer due to cap constraints and scheme fits.
The Knicks get one of the best all-around players in the league and have to pay the checks for Dieng in order to get the All-Star talent in Jimmy Buckets.
Their rotation with their “unicorn” and newly drafted rookie Kevin Knox would be really interesting, especially with the fact they could get Franky Smokes some more minutes.
The hope for New York is that Kyrie would take his talents to the big apple next summer and they could sign Butler to a max, and according to several ESPN analysts, it’s the best possible scenario for Butler.
But what about the Timberwolves? Their haul is aesthetically displeasing and fans would lose their minds. But Hardaway Jr. – although inconsistent at times – did prove that many people were wrong about his contract being one of the worst in the NBA.
Averaging 17.5 points per game in 33.5 minutes a game was impressive for a first year starter, Thibodeau could do a lot of work with that and do some interesting switching with Wiggins too. And believe me I know that points aren’t everything, but when you’re starting shooter was Wiggins last year, there isn’t a real high ceiling.
Enes Kanter would allow the Wolves to utilize their lineups more, whether Kanter is on the bench or in the starting rotation, he brings a lot of ‘oomph’ to the team.
Not to mention the two draft picks in 2020 could make a big draft day for Minnesota as they are still trying to tie town Karl-Anthony towns.
But why would Minnesota do this?
They just made the playoffs for the first time in 13 seasons and may lose their best player for literally nothing when trading multiple important assets for him last summer. If Thibodeau and Taylor somehow lost Butler for nothing, the franchise could potentially fall apart again and they would go on another losing streak.
And to contrast that, if Thibs trades Butler and doesn’t get the haul that can help them win, he may lose his job and the Wolves could potentially go back to losing once again.
It all depends on this last season for Butler and the Wolves to see how well they can play together and how far they can make it. A 3rd seeded Timberwolves team isn’t out of the question, which means they could potentially turn some heads and make Butler want to stay.
If a move is to be made, it’ll be around the trade deadline.