No matter how the picks pan out, draft night 2017 will be remembered for the Jimmy Butler trade.
After more than a year of rumors, the Bulls pulled the trigger on a deal, sending Butler and the No. 16 pick to Minnesota in exchange for Zach LaVine, Kris Dunn and the No. 7 selection. Conventional wisdom says the trade changes the course of both franchises, with the Wolves vaulting to contender status in the West while the Bulls embark on a rebuilding project.
It was remarkably similar to a proposal between the teams a year ago, and Chicago fans might have been much happier if the deal had been completed on draft night 2016. LaVine would have been more appealing before his season-ending ACL tear in February, and Dunn was considered the top point guard in the draft at the time. His stock has fallen considerably after a lackluster rookie season in which he averaged 3.8 points per game and shot 38% from the field.
A key for the Bulls was the seventh pick, which they used on Lauri Markkanen, a stretch four out of Arizona. Chicago was 26th in the league in 3-point percentage this season and needs more shooters to fit into coach Fred Hoiberg’s preferred offense. Bulls management has been criticized for surrendering the 16th choice, which Minnesota used to grab Creighton center Justin Patton, but the Wolves reportedly wouldn’t have done the trade without that pick.
If the Bulls are rebuilding, they still have a long way to go. Chicago will have a starting backcourt with a combined age of 66 if it brings back Rajon Rondo (31) to team with Dwyane Wade (35), who has already announced his intention to opt in for next season.
The Bulls have until Friday to make a decision on Rondo, whose $13.397MM salary for next season only has a $3MM guarantee through the end of June. If they opt to release or trade Rondo, the remaining point guards are on the roster are Cameron Payne, who spent much of his time in the D-League after being acquired in February, Jerian Grant, who was briefly handed the starting role this season, and Isaiah Canaan, a journeyman shooter. There’s also, Dunn, of course, and free agent Michael Carter-Williams.
If the plan is to build around LaVine and Markkanen, there are very few young stars on the roster to join them. Starting center Robin Lopez turned 29 in April, and Nikola Mirotic and Cristiano Felicio are both free agents.
So considering the current makeup of the Bulls’ roster, did they get enough for their franchise player? Please leave your comments below. We look forward to what you have to say.
What could the celts have offered? Minny fleeced em and it has to be that Danny is slow playing this thing til the super teams fade a bit. Agree?
Danny is just waiting for Brown to blowup into a superstar and it will be R.I.P for Lebron.
Brown needs to blow up over 230lbs first. 180lb light weight isn’t gonna stop Bron. Gotta have a back up plan….
I think this trade is more even than others. Dunn is at worst going to be a Jrue Holiday type PG to me, and LaVine has yet to reach his potential either. Getting the pick with it for someone I feel is a tad overrated was a great haul.
Seems people view Butler as top 10-15, I see him more in the 25-40 range personally.
Jrue Holiday was 10x the shooter Dunn is when Jrue came into the league. He has always been an efficient scorer in the league. The shooting is a legitimate question mark with Dunn. However, I do see the comparison on the defensive end – both long and quick, and I think Dunn can grow into an elite defender.
LaVine may not have reached his potential but he’s definitely near it. I could see him becoming a 22, even 24 ppg scorer, but he’ll never be an elite playmaker or defender, which Butler is.
Would love to see you list 24 players better than Butler too.
Did not get enough. Should have kept the 16th pick!
Bulls? They got a torn acl that can’t guard anyone and a 2nd yr pg who cannot hit the broad side of a barn. Bulls front office is as rudderless as it gets. What’s next, they trade for brock osweiler?
As a Timberwolves fan, the bulls got a torn ACL and another terrible PG drafted by Minnesota. And the #7 pick
Lavine is a great athlete and has a lethal perimeter game, he is phenomenal on NBA 2k17. Markkanen is a stretch 5 who has Dirk and Porzingis range and can create his own shot off the dribble, you can expect 9-15 ppg from him his first year if Hoiberg gives him minutes. And Dunn is 22 and was treated just like Russell was by Scott, he barely got any real burn and now he might backup Rondo or possibly start depending on what the Bulls do with Wade and Rondo. That 16th pick ended up being Patton, I think he has a shot at being a decent center but if it was TJ Leaf I would have said the trade is lopsided. Butler was great in spurts and got hot towards the end of last season but he’s better off in Minnesota, he conflicted with Hoiberg and made teammates uncomfortable.
“Phenomenal on NBA 2k17” – ahhhhhh there it is. Thanks for finally providing a reason for your ineptitude in discussing basketball.
Dude I’ve seen Lavine play, the kid has range and can create his own shot. Plus he’s still young and will have an expanded role in Chicago compared to Minnesota where we all know Wiggins and Towns are the cornerstones.
Isn’t Lavine’s contract for only one more year though?
Yea I watched LaVine all year. I live in Minnesota. LaVine is a great scorer a-la Lou Williams, and that’s it. Consistently dropping 40 pts with him in 2K has absolutely zero bearing on his performance in reality.
Lol 2k makes stars look ok and bad players look like stars. I’ve seen Nikola Vucevic and Jonas Valanciunis make All-NBA teams over guys like Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins…
This is why I mostly refrain from scrutinizing others comments. I don’t want to call out a 12 year old!
According to 2K17 I’m the greatest basketball player in history.
combined age of 66?
Absolutely. Dunn didn’t show much from all the potential he was exposed to have. Lavine is a great player, but his game revolves around his athleticism. Who knows if he’ll be the same explosive player when he comes back from the injury. Then the 7th pick, Lauri, is good at shooting and that’s it. Not a lot of potential there. For a top 15 player, heck yeah I’d take that deal any day. Gar Pax is making the Knicks look like a decent front office. Lol.
Absolutely not*.
Lauri will be more then decent man, I could see him average 10 to 15 ppg his first season and kicking up to 19-21 his second season. The league revolves around perimeter shooting now and this kid can knock them down consistently from 30. Lavine also has range and Dunn can still prove the doubters wrong, he might not end up being a MVP level player but I see all-star potential like a Mark Jackson sort of guard.
Butler is not a franchise player, but definitely a perennial all-star. Lavine is a scorer, Dunn is a pass first shoot second guard and Markkanen will be a scoring stretch 5. Their identities are defined and its easier to build with guys who you know what they bring to the table. This is why Lebron teams struggle because Lebron can’t be defined as anything, he’s not a scorer nor is he a pass first forward.
there’s no such thing as a stretch 5. and butler is franchise changing and a franchise player. bulls management just refused to surround and build around Jimmy. makes you think what their motives are
Well Mehmet Okur was a stretch 5…too big and slow to play the PF position. But you’re right about the rest.
Okur was a stretch 5 but he does not have the ceiling Markkanen has as a shooter.
LeBron’s teams struggle? Are you trolling? He’s only leading his team to or winning the finals every season.
The facts is he had his own fire power to work with and lost to KD. There is no way you play with Love and Irving and should be losing in 5 to Golden State a team with no rebounding or player who could gey you 15-25 rebounds per game like Love.
Go back to 2k buddy.
What did I say that is not facts?
GS won the rebounding battle in all but game 4, where they lost the rebound battle by 1
“Lebrons teams struggle”. Taking your team to the finals 7 straight times (and 8 times in total) is apparently struggling. So all the other teams (aside from GS) in the league must be really struggling then.
Also, he’s clearly a pass first forward. He comes down almost everytime looking to set up one of his teammates. He’s just so big, strong, and quick that he is able to force his way to the basket and score at will (which if he’s getting good looks at the basket, it doesn’t make sense to pass it out everytime to set up your teammates).
He will be a top 10 player all-time, most people say top 5 but I don’t evev think he is better then Kobe yet. Yea sure he will break Jordan’s numbers and Kobe’s but Mike and Kobe were just 1 and 2 for me because of their psycho winning mentality, Lebron just got smacked in 5 by KD and everyone is talking about GS 3 peating. If Mike or Kobe were in the league, they would have beat the Warriors if they have Irving,Love, and JR as a supporting cast. Just saying Kawhi embarassed GS with 26 Game 1 of the 2017 West Finals.
You lose all credibility when you say that LeBron led teams struggle. The dude has been 7 straight NBA finals. In no way can that be defined as a struggle.
I’d like to see Phil Jackson end up in Chicago’s front office after these mindless, gutless clowns called Forman and Paxson are fired.
Which they will be.
Very soon.
They won’t get fired man, can we see Lavine and Dunn with extended roles please first before saying the Bulls got fleeced?
I believe every Knicks fan would be more than happy to see Phil back in Chicago.
Phil got us Ntilikina, I am very high on his potential to run our offense and get Porzingis all the touches he needs to dominate and lead the Knicks back to the top. Hopefully Melo sticks around.
There’s no way around it. Bulls got fleeced. Honestly, I can’t believe Chicago didn’t get more, even for only 2 years of Butler. All day, I had been saying Minnesota would have to send Dunn, Lavine, Bjelica, #7, and a 2019 1st round pick for Butler alone…not only did all they get was Dunn and 1 year of Lavine coming off the ACL injury, but they took Markannen at 7, which made very little sense, unless they think he’s Dirk. Markannen can definitely shoot it, and can surprisingly take the ball of the dribble a little, but he can’t play defense, he can’t rebound, he doesn’t really do much else other than shoot it. Their roster doesn’t really come together right now. They should probably trade Robin Lopez and try to sign and trade Mirotic at this point, and then wade gers a buyout later in the year. They need wings and shooters…I really like Kris Dunn. I didn’t get a chance to see him much last year, as a rookie, but in college, I watched him a lot. He reminds me of a bigger Wade/maybe John Wall. He, Lavine for a year, and Markannen kind of could make some sense together (Portis would probably start at the 5, with Markannen off the bench), but the rest of that roster probably should be blown up around them
But it gets better. They also gave Minnesota #16, and they got Justin Patton lol. So super high upside for Minnesota there, plus they get Butler on a cheap deal for 2 years for not much in terms of assets. Now they can try to add a PG like George Hill, and a couple of backup wing shooters, and they’re good to go….The Bulls…it’s going to be a few years
Huge fan of Lavine man, always wanted him on my Knicks. Enjoy Lavine he will be a great SG and Markkanen reminds of Rik Smits from Indiana.
To say Bulls front office is bad would be a huuuuge understatement. They have been messing up year after year after year. Why trade Butler for this deal??? They even given away their pick….only 2 teams with worse management are the Knicks and Kings
I agree… they could have gotten k love from Cavs if they wanted it… they had him out their… it was just ah terrible front office trade… he didn’t even have ah Max contract on the books… bulls front office…. ur fired!!!!!
Love? For what? Markkanen can be their stretch 5.