Ricky Rubio (Photo : Twitter)
The NBA rumors are on full throttle for the teams that did not make the playoffs and the Chicago Bulls may be close to a full rebuild.
Recent posts from team site Pippen Ain't Easy floated two possibilities: trading Jimmy Butler for Ricky Rubio. The Minnesota Timberwolves may also need to add another point guard, Tyus Jones, in the hypothetical trade.
According to writer Michael Kanoy, Rubio is "a glue guy and a pass-first point guard who can break down seams in opponents' defense, which allows Towns and Wiggins to play to their strengths."
It was also argued that Rubio would be a fine addition for Hoiball and would also allow Derrick Rose to cut lo0se and score as he has been doing in the last few Bulls games.
While that sounds great for Chicago, one might wonder how Butler would fit with the Minnesota Timberwolves when the team already has Andrew Wiggins. The two players have similarities with strength and athleticism and both can play defense.
Still, if the Timberwolves were really offered Butler for Rubio, it is very likely that they would bite. Butler is a star and while they would be bereft of point guards (Zach Lavine at the point was an ill-fated experiment), the T-Wolves have a lottery draft pick to address that.
Another reason Kanoy cited is the possibility of Tom Thibodeau becoming the next coach of the T-Wolves. Butler is a Thibodeau protégé and he would love to have him lead the new young team.
A Butler trade is not out of the question. CSN Chicago quoted Gar Forman and John Paxson when they were given the chance to dispel the trade rumors. They did not, and refused to name him as "untouchable."
"I would say, I think John made it pretty clear we've got to take a look at everything," Forman said. "We've got to explore all options and I don't think there's anything that's off the table when you have a disappointing year like this. With that said, obviously Jimmy has had a fantastic year. From where he was to where he's gotten to, he's become a very, vey valuable player for us."
"There's one untouchable guy I've ever been around, Michael Jordan," Paxson said. "So that's how I've always looked at it."
In a separate Pippen Ain't Easy post, Dwight Howard was named as a free agent target for the Bulls. It's likely that Joakim Noah would rather sign elsewhere and Pau Gasol can also opt out. The latter has been vocal about his disappointment with the team.
Noting that Howard's playoff stint (which would probably not be too long) could become a virtual tryout for other teams, if D12 could show flashes of his former dominant self, the Bulls might target him since they(Forman and Paxson) do prefer veterans.
