NBA: Winners and losers from the Jimmy Butler trade

Cleveland Cavaliers v Minnesota Timberwolves
Cleveland Cavaliers v Minnesota Timberwolves

Winner: Chicago

Chicago Bulls v New York Knicks
Chicago Bulls v New York Knicks

The Bulls are one of the big winners, albeit indirectly. They initially gave Butler to Minnesota along with pick 16 in the 2017 draft, which the Wolves would ironically use to draft Justin Patton who was again traded with Butler two days ago. In return, the Bulls received two young stars in Zach Lavine and Kris Dunn, and Minnesota's seventh overall pick, which would become Lauri Markkanen. The Wolves thought they could afford to part with young assets and valuable draft picks to land a two-way star to pair with Towns.

While the latest Butler trade doesn't directly impact the Bulls, it must be extra sweet for them to see the Wolves lose Butler for less than they did. The Bulls lost a superstar when they lost Butler, but they received a lot of talent in return for a player who wanted out. The Wolves, on the other hand, received no valuable draft picks and more than likely two non-all-stars.

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