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Would Bulls Trade Jimmy Butler for Ricky Rubio?

By Michael RENE KANOY

Feb 6, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) dribbles the ball as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (9) defends at Target Center. The Timberwolves won 112-105. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 6, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose (1) dribbles the ball as Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio (9) defends at Target Center. The Timberwolves won 112-105. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports /
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Looking at one blockbuster trade that might look bad on paper, but may be the perfect fit for GarPax moving into Derrick Rose‘s final contract year. Jimmy Butler for Ricky Rubio of the Timberwolves?

In the past three months or so, talk in Minnesota was that Ricky Rubio had several teams interested in him, including the Milwaukee Bucks, but the Timberwolves were asking for Khris Middleton if any deal was to be consummated. Milwaukee passed on the deal.

Going into this summer, Minnesota is looking to upgrade the bench, as well as partner another star with Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins and Zach Lavine as their core.

Tom Thibodeau is rumored to be one of the coaches being wooed by the Timberwolves.

So, if the Bulls sent Jimmy Butler — a Thibodeau favorite — to Minnesota might be a sweetener for any coaching deal.

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It looks like the perfect player exchange because the Timberwolves are settling their back court on Wiggins and LaVine and may shop Rubio around for better value additions to their starting five or bench.

Not to say that the oft-injured Rubio is without any value. 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.

Rubio is an able defender but seldom looks for his own shot, preferring to set up teammates. The Bulls already have his teammate from the Spanish National team, Nikola Mirotic, so the chemistry will be there for the Bulls second unit.

Rubio looks like an excellent fit for the pace-and-space Hoiball system and he already has shooters — Mirotic and Doug McDermott — on either side, plus Cristiano Felicio and Bobby Portis lurking at the post.

If Rubio and Derrick Rose play with each other, they might thrive and be more explosive in tandem than Jimmy Butler was at the two-guard spot.

Player stats may be deceiving and may contribute to Rubio looking like an undervalued trade option in exchange for a stat-padded All-Star, but if you’ve been watching basketball for the last two years and know Rubio’s game and Butler’s own brand of ball, you know you just traded a bad fit for a championship piece.

The ball would move around on offense without prodding from Hoiberg, cross mid-court quicker and the Bulls shooters would get feeds when they are open. The pick-and-roll with Rubio at the point would be making opponents’ heads spin because his basketball IQ allows Hoiball to add layers to the P/R set, attacking from everywhere.

The Bulls might also be able to get Tyus Jones (45 percent three-point shooter this year) as additional compensation for Butler. He is a player they were looking at before Bobby Portis in last year’s draft.

Chicago can send Minnesota another wing player: Tony Snell. He can generate offense, which the Timberwolves desperately need if they are willing to let go of a draft pick or more.

That gives Chicago: Ricky Rubio (veteran point guard), Tyus Jones (backup point guard) for Jimmy Butler and a first or second round draft pick and Tony Snell to Minnesota.  Rubio’s current contract runs at $13.4 million next year, going to $14.8 million in 2018-19 and that’s a steal for a championship piece and a glue player going into the higher salary cap adjustments for 2016-17.

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    • Butler’s salary for next year is $16.4 million. so the Bulls shed $3 million for next year (plus $2 million from Tony Snell’s own contract) to up their free agent amount to roughly $25 million; some of that will go to re-signing Joakim Noah and maybe E’Twaun Moore.

    Minnesota will only entertain player trade offers that are of market value with what they have in Ricky Rubio and they have said so, too.  The Bulls garbage just might be their treasure: an All-Star SF plus a bench scorer.

    Both the Bulls players might be useful if the Timberwolves sign up Tom Thibodeau as head coach next year. Given the circumstances going into the summer, isn’t this just too perfect to pass up? The Bulls own draft picks that can also be useful in making the deal happen if needed as long as they get Rubio and whatever works best for Fred Hoiberg going into next year.

    Next: What went wrong with Hoiball this season?

    It only takes a light bulb in GarPax’s mind once they watch Ricky’s film and ask Hoiberg if he wants Rubio, too.

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