NBA Rumors: Timberwolves rejected Zach LaVine for Jimmy Butler
According to a report, the Minnesota Timberwolves rejected a trade of Zach LaVine and the No. 5 pick for Jimmy Butler.
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As the NBA Draft began, there were constant rumors of teams looking to trade up and select Providence point guard Kris Dunn. With the Boston Celtics on the clock at the No. 3 pick, they passed on Dunn and so did the Phoenix Suns.
That left the Minnesota Timberwolves with a chance to take Dunn. As expected, they got a variety of phone calls from teams and it appears that they had a chance to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Chicago Bulls.
According to Sham Charania, the talks broke down over guard Zach LaVine. The Timberwolves reportedly were unwilling to include him with the No. 5 pick.
Vertical Sources: Chicago and Minnesota talks for Jimmy Butler broke down. Bulls wanted Zach LaVine, not Ricky Rubio.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 24, 2016
It’s an interesting outcome for both sides. Many thought the Timberwolves would jump on the chance to get a player like Butler, but LaVine has taken off as a player and they might feel he could be better than Butler soon.
It also is clear that Chicago didn’t want Ricky Rubio. It was an almost blockbuster trade, but in the end, neither side could pull the trigger on a deal.
However, a deal could still be had. ESPN’s Marc Stein is reporting that they’re working on a deal still.
ESPN sources say Minnesota continues to try to engage Chicago on talks built around Kris Dunn to try to import Jimmy Butler to the Wolves
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) June 24, 2016
The draft is off to a crazy start.
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