***UPDATE*** As the 2017 NBA Draft got underway, the Bulls traded Butler to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for the 2017 No. 7 pick, shooting guard Zach LaVine and point guard Kris Dunn (Minnesota’s first round pick in last year’s draft).
The Denver Nuggets might want to get on the horn with a member of the orange and blue. They could be making Nuggets fans and one particular Denver Broncos wide receiver very happy.
A draft-day report broke from ESPN’s Jeff Goodman that the Nuggets had engaged the Bulls in talks about acquiring Bulls star guard Jimmy Butler.
Butler, in addition to being a top-20 scorer in the NBA, is close friends with Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas.
The deal, according to Goodman, would cost Denver a number of young players and picks – although budding superstar Nikola Jokic would not be a part of the deal.
Denver has spoken to the Bulls about Jimmy Butler, source told ESPN. Would include multiple young players, not… https://t.co/ZVJHHy6vOA
— Jeff Goodman (@GoodmanHoops) June 22, 2017
The Nuggets could package picks with Wilson Chandler, Gary Harris and Malik Beasley in a deal that would work under NBA guidelines. However, Jamal Murray would likely be a more desirable trade piece for Chicago than Harris and/or Beasley.
DT and Jimmy Butler are close friends, hosting one another at games over the years.
https://twitter.com/ChiSportUpdates/status/801711469679308800
https://twitter.com/Kyle_Widder/status/774060346638082049
They’ve actually even gone head to head in a little pickup football.
https://twitter.com/go90Zone/status/869194969936007169
Butler is a three-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA third team in 2017. Importantly for the Nuggets, Butler is a lockdown defender. He was named to the NBA All-Defensive second team for three years straight (2014-16).
Butler may not be able to cover DT on the football field, but the Nuggets would be a vastly improved team with Butler on the floor.
