At first it might look like the Minnesota Timberwolves and Chicago Bulls don't really have any reason to swap a top-five draft pick and a superstar. According to ESPN, that's exactly what the two are trying to do ahead of this month's NBA Draft. The Timberwolves own the fifth pick in the draft and are trying to persuade the Bulls into trading their superstar shooting guard in Jimmy Butler.
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This would actually reunite Butler with his former Bulls coach in Tom Thibodeau who is now the coach and president of basketball operations for the T-Wolves. The Bulls are not believed to be actively looking to move their All-Star swingman ?but have been listening to pitches for Butler, sources said.
Sources are also saying that it would require a front-line player as well as the No. 5 pick to move Butler as he is the focal point of everything the Bulls are trying to do going forward in the Fred Hoiberg era.
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Butler signed a five-year deal worth in excess of $90 million last summer shortly after winning NBA Most Improved Player honors for the 2014-15 season. With the amount of assets the Wolves have in up-and-coming players they could certainly deal with the Bulls directly or set up a multi-team trade to facilitate something bigger.
