Why Didn’t The Timberwolves Trade Kris Dunn And Zach LaVine For Jimmy Butler?

The Minnesota Timberwolves got their man with the fifth pick in the NBA Draft. Providence point guard Kris Dunn is everything Tom Thibodeau wants in a point guard. He’s a big, athletic floor general with natural court sense and the ability to be an all-league defender.

What’s not to like?

The Chicago Bulls didn’t know the answer, either, and were reportedly engaged in serious discussions with Minnesota on a trade that would have sent Dunn to the Windy City in exchange for All-Star wing Jimmy Butler. The only thing holding it up? Chicago’s insistence that Zach Lavine was included in the deal for Butler as opposed to Ricky Rubio.

LaVine has the chance to be a very good player. After a quietly strong second half in 2015-16 that coincided with a move to shooting guard, it’s clear the 21-year-old high-flier is much more than just a dunker. But holding onto he and Dunn at the expense of missing out on Butler? When a point guard of Rubio’s caliber is already on the roster?

That seems like a losing proposition for the Timberwolves. A nucleus of Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, and Rubio wouldn’t just help Minnesota threaten for a playoff spot next season, but potentially lead this historically woebegone franchise to surefire championship contention down the road.

Complicating matters: The widespread assumption that the Timberwolves have already decided Rubio won’t be their point guard of the present or future.

It looks like this is probably dead despite reports stating otherwise for a brief moment.