The Bulls and Timberwolves took the court Wednesday night at the United Center commiserating in NBA hell. Both teams have been spinning their wheels since trading Jimmy Butler and firing Tom Thibodeau and now are facing a difficult reality: the winner of the Butler trade was Jimmy Butler.
The June, 2017 deal that sent Butler to the Timberwolves — like every trade — was supposed to be a win for both teams. Butler was the top-15 all-star reuniting with the coach who made him what he was and a coach Butler actually wanted to play for. The Bulls ridded themselves of a player who suddenly did not fit Fred Hoiberg’s offense — whose fault was that?