5 winners and losers from the Ricky Rubio trade to the Utah Jazz

Winner: Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler falls into the list of winners in a different way than being directly impacted by Rubio’s presence or lack thereof.

Butler has reportedly been trying to court Kyle Lowry to join the Timberwolves lineup in free agency, and this Rubio deal definitely helps the case when you’re trying to get your super friends to join your squad.

Think of it like Batman trying to add the Flash to the Justice League, but he already had a lackluster speedster in his group. Now, a spot has opened up, and you can say how great of a place Minnesota is to land with, potentially gaining an upgraded point guard in the process.

With reports of Jeff Teague already committing to the Timberwolves, Butler may not gain his friend Lowry in this process. However, this deal further justifies him joining the team, as it shows the Timberwolves’ commitment to improving their roster and giving Butler and his teammates the best chance at winning and potentially making a run at the postseason.

At the same time, you’ll get a better scoring threat than Rubio to join you on the court in your starting five, and if Butler struggles, he now knows he’ll have other reliable teammates to share the ball with and count on, rather than hoping Rubio can make plays with his passing abilities.

Next: NBA Free Agency 2017 tracker: Latest rumors, trades and deals

There are plenty of winners and losers in the Rubio deal to the Jazz, and while it may look like a one-sided deal, it actually isn’t all bad for the Jazz in the end. They gain a former first-round pick in exchange for a future first-rounder. However, Butler and those around him in the Timberwolves organization are definitely happy with where things ended up on their end.