It finally happened.
The Chicago Bulls actually traded star Jimmy Butler after months of speculation that they would. Chicago pulled the trigger on a deal Thursday night during the 2017 NBA Draft sending Butler and the No. 16 overall pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 overall pick in the draft.
The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski first reported the news:
Chicago is finalizing a deal to send Jimmy Butler to Minnesota for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and No. 7 pick, league source says.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 22, 2017
The move is a big one for the Bulls as it means they’ve finally picked a lane. It’s officially a rebuild now as the team has acquired young talent for a budding star.
Minnesota gets Butler to compliment Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns as they look to return to the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2004. He gives the Timberwolves a No. 1 threat to go to when the game is on the line.
More importantly, Butler reunites with his former head coach Tom Thibodeau.
With the No. 7 pick, Chicago acquired the rights to Lauri Markkanen. They officially announced the deal just a few hours later:
OFFICIAL: Bulls acquire Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, and Lauri Markkanen from Minnesota. pic.twitter.com/L6T5nCHuzm
— Chicago Bulls (@chicagobulls) June 23, 2017
Get ready folks, this rebuild could get interesting.
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