Bulls had to include #16 to make the trade legal because the Wolves owe Atlanta their first next year (potentially). lol

If Butler is a top 15 player then the league is weaker than I thought. Dude stands too straight. He and Ricky can build a chimney together to keep warm.

Lmao

This dude just comes in talking bout the g league

Butler is legit great. Fantastic trade for the Wolves

Butlers gonna have arthritis and the wolves won't win more than 40 games then he'll go to the clippers or something

Butler is probably the 10th best player in the league. He's better than Paul George. He's 27 years old. It's one of the best trades in NBA history for the Wolves.

Minnesota thanks Ted Stepien

They could have just had the wolves draft Markannen for them, no?

No way klay is better than butler.

Yeah and on the contrary it's literally one of the WOAT trades I'll see in my lifetime for the bulls. Giving up the 16th on top of it all was just a huge WTF

Butler almost a snap-call over Dray as well.

And another elite anti-Lebron weapon leaving the east, with PG probably going to the lakers, and Celtics taking the mediocrity path

Lebron can sign with the Nets and still be in NBA finals next year

Milwaukee has an elite weapon and should be getting better. Cavs struggled against the Wizards last year and they lost nothing. Charlotte got better--doubt it's enough though. Heat were pretty damn good in the 2nd half of the season last year.

Boston is still pretty good. They literally lost nothing and could be adding Gordon.

Long term, Philly is very interesting and could hinder the Cavs in a few years.

There is no chance Lebron could join the Nets and them win the East. Hawks/Chicago/Indy are likely dumpster fires. Toronto if/when they re-sign Lowry should be mediocre as always; looks like Lowry->Sixers makes no sense now.

So there is 1 elite team in the East (Cavs) and 1 solid team with up and coming potential (Boston) and Milwaukee who is a sleeping giant and 3 mediocre teams in Toronto/Heat/Wizards who are all like 1 really good piece from really being elite. Then you have a really young squad in Philly that could be good but not just yet.

Future of the East is bright in Philly/Boston/Milwaukee.

I'm not sure that is the case. Stepien rule only appliers to future picks, not picks already made. Here, the Twolves could only trade the rights to Lauri, not the actual pick. So while Twovles could not have traded the pick itself, I dont see any rule that prevents them from trading Lauri once they draft him (so long as before they sign him).

Yeah, it's not right.

Per local beat guy: The wolves offer was Rubio + Dunn + 7. The bulls wanted Lavine instead, the wolves were "unsure" and insisted that the 16 be included.

Has not a single coach been fired this year? Wth is goin on

Man still can't believe wolves snagged butler and only had to move down 9 spots + Lavine (i don't consider Dunn a real player)

So much upside on that team right now. Two all star level offensive players in butler and Kat and sick perimeter D which is Obv a necessity in the west. If KAT's d improves and Wiggins takes the next step offensively I have to think they are a top 4 team in the west. Maybe I'm just a homer.

Not sure if vegas has win totals out yet but for all you TZ experts how would markets view Wolves vs Jazz vs Thunder right now?

Jimmy was once vastly underrated. Now vastly overrated.

Thibs love for him caused him to offer more than anyone else was. If this was such an awful package, where was everyone else?

If GH stays then it's likely Jazz>Wolves>Thunder

Jazz > Wilves > OKC

razor close, pending Hayward resolution

Yeah that sounds right to me too

Bulls loved Lavine. Don't presume efficient market hypothesis. Too many examples of trade-rape/draft mistakes.

gar forman is trying to sabotage the organization or is legitimately mentally incapacitated. these are the only 2 possibilities. might be the worst in-real-time trade oat.

How is he better than PG?

Tut only please.