NBA Free Agency Rumors: Jimmy Butler trying to court Kyle Lowry to the Timberwolves

Jimmy Butler was surprisingly traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves last week and he isn’t wasting time trying to bring more talent to the team.

Jimmy Butler of the Timberwolves has made it clear in his short time with the team that he is trying to bring his team USA teammate, Kyle Lowry to Minnesota.

While on KFAN’s Dan Barreiro Show, Sirius XM’s Mitch Lawrence says that Butler spoke to Lowry about joining him in Chicago when he was a member of the Bulls. Now, he is trying to recruit him to be a member of the Timberwolves next season.

"“[Butler] has talked to Kyle Lowry through their Team USA association about coming to Chicago. Now, I heard he’s working on him about coming to Minnesota.”"

Additionally, Butler’s addition makes the front office feel they can land better free agents, per Lawrence.

The Timberwolves believe they can do better than Ricky Rubio at point guard. Rubio has been with the franchise since being drafted in 2011. During the 2016-2017 season, the Spaniard boasted a career high in points (11.1) and assists (9.1) per game. In fact, he was fifth in the NBA in assists per game.

Rubio, 26, appears to be nearing his full potential. However, Lowry has already shown he can put up bigger numbers than Rubio. 2016-17 was a career year for Lowry, as well. He scored a career high 22.4 points per game. Also, he had seven assists per game, which is the second best mark in his career.

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Furthermore, Lowry has shown an ability to lead his team to the playoffs. As a member of the Toronto Raptors he has led them to four straight playoff appearances. During the 2016-2017 season, they were the third best team in the Eastern Conference.

The Timberwolves hope he can bring that success and wisdom to the young talent in Minnesota.