All-caps and exclamation points dominated the instant reaction around the Twin Cities from Wolves fans Thursday night when it became clear Jimmy Butler was in and Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn were out.
But how about in Chicago? Here's a quick roundup of what was written about the trade from the Chicago point of view.
Life without Butler will test the Bulls' resolve, but it was time for them to start over, time for a risk-averse organization to take a risk. Finally, the Bulls established an unambiguous plan, stopped running in place and realized in pro sports taking two steps forward requires taking one step back. Finally, they were as decisive as they were daring in taking the best offer among others made by the Celtics and Nuggets and deserve credit for doing what they felt necessary to escape NBA purgatory known as the middle.
Trading an All-Star guard to the Timberwolves for three NBA up-and-comers — guards Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine and No. 7 pick Lauri Markkanen — represented a leap of faith for two Bulls executives who like to keep their feet on the ground.
"It's always difficult to trade a player and a person that has meant a lot to the organization and we really watched grow as a player. That said, we've set a direction. We're going to rebuild this roster through young players that we believe can play a system that Fred is comfortable with. We're going to be disciplined and patient along the way."
