Trade Talk: Jimmy Butler vs. Zach Levine & Kris Dunn

Offhand I would say, taking nothing away from Zach Levine, this is the most-lopsided trade I've ever witnessed in 25+ years of watching the NBA:

Chicago Bulls Get:	Minnesota Timberwolves Get:
Zach Levine	Jimmy Butler
Kris Dunn	No.16 2017 Draft Pick (Justin Patton)
No.7 2017 Draft Pick (Lauri Markkanen)

CHICAGO BULLS: C

PROS

1.  They get rid of Jimmy Bulter who, given the way he left the Bulls, you would have to presume the organization viewed him as a malcontent at worst and someone they simply didn't want around at best.

2.  They get a player in Zach Levine who though he can't win games like Butler can produce a highlight on any given night.

3.  They got the number-seven pick in a relatively-deep (compared to recent years) draft.

CONS

1.  On the surface this deal makes no sense, especially considering the Bulls alledgely had a better offer (from the Celtics) and Butler still has a couple of years left on his contract, so it's not like he could immediately threaten them with free agency.

2.  This is now Dwayne Wade's team, not the worst possible fate in the NBA but definitely not something you can say about a contender.

3.  At times the braintrust of the Chicago Bulls appear less-competent than even the New York Knicks.

MINNESOTA TIMBERWOLVES: A+

PROS

1.  They get Jimmy Bulter, one of the three best "two-way players" in the game and one of a handful of competitors who can win on willpower alone.

2.  A "small-market" NBA team in a less-than-desirable part of the country just pulled off one of the most shocking trades in the league's history.

3.  Jimmy Butler is already familiar with the hardwork ethic of Head Coach Tom Thibodeau.

4.  You have to believe this makes the team more attractive to other quality players, such as the already signed Jeff Teague and Taj Gibson.

5.  Unlike other teams that have acquired big-name players this offseason, this move clearly and indisputably makes the Wolves better.

6.  They get rid of Kris Dunn who, upon entering the NBA as the number-five pick last year under expectations as lofty as some believing he would win Rookie of the Year before he ever even played a game, has definitely thus far in his short career underachieved.

CONCLUSION

I would venture to say, despite the virtually-unlimited amount of information available, that none of us really know what goes on behind closed doors in NBA boardrooms based off of just reading internet articles and watching games, but that being said it's still kind of difficult to understand the overall logic behind some of the decisions the Bulls have made in recent years.  The only reason the Bulls haven't joined the likes of the Knicks and Kings as laughingstocks of the NBA is because they still make the Playoffs, they're just a few years removed from their renaissance years under Derrick Rose and Tom Thibodeau, and honestly for many of us when we hear the words "Chicago Bulls" to this day the first image to pop into mind is that of Michael Jordan.