New York Knicks: Could Jimmy Butler be in New York before July?
Reports have been swirling around Jimmy Butler for months now, but how do they impact the New York Knicks?
The Timberwolves and Jimmy Butler have been linked to rumors for months now, and if one of them is true, we may see Butler playing elsewhere come the 2018-19 NBA Trade Deadline including the New York Knicks.
So, what are the odds that his destination is the New York Knicks?
There have been quite a few reports stating that Butler and Kyrie Irving have discussed teaming up on an Eastern Conference team, and that the said Eastern Conference team could be the New York Knickerbockers.
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With that rumor, plus the newly reported rumor that Butler could be traded before the deadline, we could see Jimmy Butler in orange and blue come February.
The Knicks have been trying to breakthrough and make the playoffs for years now, and Jimmy Butler could be the player to get them over that hump. With injuries and the lack of talent weighing the Knicks down, the past few years haven’t been great.
However, a healthy Kristaps Porzingis accompanied by Jimmy Butler would be a duo that would keep opposing teams up at night. However, in order to reel in a player like Jimmy Butler the Knicks would need to give up quite a bit.
When Butler was traded from the Bulls to the Timberwolves in the 2017 offseason, the Timberwolves gave up Zach Lavine, Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn. Now it doesn’t look like much but this was a great deal if you think about it a bit.
The Timberwolves took Markkanen with their seventh overall pick in the 2017 draft and Kris Dunn with their fifth overall pick in 2016.
This being said, the Bulls received two straight top ten picks plus Lavine who was showing serious promise in the NBA.
If this is the case, what would the Knicks have to give up in order to trade for the four-time All-Star?
The Timberwolves are a team that are a player or two away from being a serious contender in the Western Conference, which means trading for Jimmy Butler won’t be easy even considering the circumstances.
Even considering the fact that it looks nearly impossible for the Timberwolves to bring back Jimmy Butler long-term, it will not be easy to trade for the All-Star.
There is only one trade that looks like it could seriously work to get Jimmy Butler to New York.
With the Knicks current roster there really aren’t too many desired players with the exception of a few. Kevin Knox is one of those few players who teams would love to have.
A proposed trade could look something like this:
Now, the Knicks might not be too fond of trading away Kevin Knox, but if they seriously believed they could bring Jimmy Butler back following the 2018-19 season this trade would make sense.
Butler has been one of the more consistent players in the league the last couple of years and if the Knicks have the chance to bring him in he is worth the risk of giving up Knox.
In 2017-18, Butler averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists helping the Timberwolves get to the playoffs for the first time since 2004.
Giving up Kevin Knox and his potential would be worth it if the Knicks were able to bring in Butler.
On the Timberwolves side of things, this would be a fair deal for a couple of reasons. In giving up Butler they at least get something in return instead of hoping they sign him back following the season and fail to do so.
In Tim Hardaway Jr., they are getting a player who can play behind Andrew Wiggins and get some decent playing time off the bench.
In Knox, they get a guy who can take over for Butler and a guy who has a ton of potential should he be used correctly.
dark. Next. Chances of Knicks getting both Butler and Kyrie are.....
This is a trade that makes sense for both sides, and one that could potentially work if the Timberwolves eventually decide to give up Jimmy Butler via a trade.