Minnesota Timberwolves: A Potential Jimmy Butler Trade Would Be The Wrong Move At This Time

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been making positive headwaves early on this offseason, but the latest news of their exploration of a potential Jimmy Butler trade would be a short-sighted decision.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have long been an afterthought in the NBA — and for good reason, as after all, the franchise have failed to make the playoffs for 13 (yes, 13) consecutive seasons.

To say they have struggled to remain relevant since the departure of prime Kevin Garnett would be an understatement; driven in large part by a bevvy of deplorable draft picks and shoddy management, the Wolves had gradually evolved into the laughing stock of the league early this decade.

However, as quoted by one the greatest philosophers of the 20th century in Tupac Shakur, “I know it seems hard sometimes but remember one thing: through every dark night, there’s a bright day after that.”

That bright day is finally coming into fruition for Wolves fans, and the the Timberpups have suddenly become the “it” young and upcoming team in the association.

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No other non-playoff team has made as many waves as Minnesota has over the past couple of months.

They hired the best coach available on the market in Tom Thibodeau back in mid-April, and their prized generational big man, Karl-Anthony Towns, has served as the franchise’s official publicist, appearing everywhere from Jimmy Kimmel Live to the NBA Finals.

And this week, the Timberwolves would dominate the embryonic NBA rumor mill once again when news surfaced of a potential Jimmy Butler trade with coach Thib’s former team, the Chicago Bulls.

To acquire the two-time All-Star, the Wolves would have to send the No. 5 overall pick of this year’s draft and at least one of their “core” young players.

Many news outlets have suggested the Bulls would only go through with the trade if Andrew Wiggins was involved, while many Minnesota faithfuls have countered with a package of the No .5 pick, Zach LaVine and Gorgui Dieng.

While I understand Thibodeau’s thought process in exploring such a trade, as well as the importance of setting a concrete culture of hard work and perseverance — two characteristics that resonates with both Thibs and Butler — the potential swap would be a premature move at this point in the franchise’s development.

Yes, it has been way too long since the Wolves have made the postseason, but Minnesota has the luxury of what all rebuilding teams dream of: a core of potential-filled neophytes that can grow, learn and, perhaps most importantly, peak together.

Wiggins and Towns are perceived by most to be untouchable, but even trading a fringe core player like the high-flying, dynamite-shooting LaVine would be an ill-advised decision.

On paper, LaVine is not your typical Thibodeau player.

His frail frame insinuates a lack of toughness, his offensive game is heavily dependent on his outside stroke and for the better part of his two-year NBA career, he’s been one of the worst defenders in the league — both the eye test and the advance stats backs such a sentiment.

On the other hand, there is just too much potential held in LaVine’s slender 6’6″ frame to simply trade him without giving him a chance to flourish under Thibs.  A fully-functional Zach at the 2 is a perfect complement to the skills that Ricky Rubio, Andrew Wiggins and KAT bring to the table.

If he can develop into a serviceable defender, and he has shown signs of doing so during the latter part of last season, his ability to hit the 3 at a 40-plus percent clip in conjunction with his mesmerizing speed and athleticism in the open court can open up a pandora’s box of opportunities for Rubio’s clairvoyant vision, Wiggins’ slashing, and Towns’ mid-post mastery.

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Alternatively, a potential lineup of Rubio-Butler-Wiggins-insert random 4-KAT could be a spacing nightmare — which had a been a plaguing theme in most of Thibodeau’s Bulls teams in the early-to-mid 2010s.

To point is, you don’t breakup a potential core of unsullied stars in their early 20s, with skills that augments each of their own’s games, without at the bear minimum, giving the incumbent group an opportunity to thrive under coach Thibodeau’s system.