Former Minnesota Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler could be on the move because he’s not backing away from his trade request. He might not be the only Timberwolves alum who may find a new home by the trade deadline.
Zach LaVine has been on the trade market for quite some time with the Chicago Bulls. He could be on a new team, too, but he could be traded for one of his former Wolves teammates. ESPN floated the following trade between the Bulls and Golden State Warriors involving LaVine and one of his ex-teammates.
Warriors receive: LaVine
Bulls receive: Andrew Wiggins, Gary Payton II, Kevon Looney, Warriors 2026 first-round pick
Wiggins and LaVine were teammates on the Timberwolves from 2014 to 2017. Not only that, but they also came up in the same draft in 2014. The Timberwolves technically didn’t draft Wiggins but acquired his draft rights for Kevin Love before the season started.
Pairing LaVine would be one last hail mary for the Warriors to put themselves back in the playoffs. The Bulls would likely acquire Wiggins and the others to extract a first-round pick for LaVine while also getting some cap relief.
This trade could be a problem for the Timberwolves
The Timberwolves are already dealing with problems of their own. This season hasn’t gone as well as last season did for them. Their struggles have led to trade ideas involving Julius Randle.
The Warriors are in a similar boat, falling well short of expectations. If Golden State gets LaVine, that puts them in a better position and potentially better than the Timberwolves.
This trade is only hypothetical, but if one of the Timberwolves’ competitors trades for someone like LaVine, the Timberwolves would have to consider making a trade to match that.
