Minnesota Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau wants to bring in more players from his former team, the Chicago Bulls, to beef up his young squad for next season. According to Basketball Insiders, Thibodeau is eyeing Aaron Brooks, Anthony Morrow and Alan Anderson to help guide the Wolves’ young squad, composed of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
Thibodeau already got two players from his former team – Jimmy Butler and Taj Gibson, who both played under him during the 2014-15 season before he was fired after the season. The Wolves hired Thibodeau as head coach and president of basketball operations last season.
In his first season, the Wolves tallied a 31-51 mark, a two-game improvement from the previous season.
Wolves acquired key player in Butler
The Timberwolves got themselves a key addition after trading for Butler during Draft Day. The Wolves shipped Kris Dunn, Zach Lavine and No. 7 pick Lauri Markkanen to the Bulls for Butler and 16th overall pick Justin Patton. Butler’s arrival will help the Timberwolves become a contender in a tight Western Conference. The Wolves now have Butler, Towns and Wiggins as their Big 3 as they try to make it to the postseason for the first time since the 2003-04 season.
Butler emerged as the Bulls’ new leader during Thibodeau’s coaching stint with the team. He averaged 20.0 points during the 2014-15 season as the Bulls made it to the Eastern Conference Semifinals where they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Despite his All-Star status, the Bulls were not sold on making Butler as “a foundational player” because of his frequent feud with coach Fred Hoiberg, according to Zach Lowe of ESPN.com.
Brooks to provide veteran backcourt help for Wolves
If he joins the Wolves, the 32-year-old Brooks will provide a steady presence in their backcourt, which lost Ricky Rubio to the Utah Jazz for a protected 2018 first-round pick.
As replacement, the Wolves signed Jeff Teague to a three-year, $57 million contract.
Brooks flourished under Thibodeau during the 2014-15 season where he 11.6 points and 3.2 assists in 23 minutes per game as backup. Brooks also shot 39 percent from beyond the arc that year. The 31-year-old Morrow split time between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Bulls last season.
In nine games with the Bulls, he averaged 4.6 points and 5.8 points in 40 games with the Thunder. Morrow is a deadly three-point shooter, averaging a career 42 percent from beyond the arc.
The 34-year-old Anderson played for the Los Angeles Clippers last season, where he averaged 2.9 points in 30 games. However, he can provide the Wolves with outside shooting as he is a career 34-percent shooter from three-point range.
