All-star guard Jimmy Butler is the player that could help David Fizdale establish a defensive-minded identity for the New York Knicks.
This past week Jimmy Butler listed the New York Knicks as one of his preferred trade destinations for the coming season.
The trade request comes following a season in which Butler helped lead the Minnesota Timberwolves to their first playoff berth since the 2003-04 season. It reportedly is due to frustrations with the younger talent on the team, most notably Andrew Wiggins.
Butler has steadily climbed the NBA’s food-chain throughout his seven seasons in the League. He is widely regarded as a top-20 player.
The former Marquette Golden Eagle averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.9 assists in his first season with the Timberwolves.
Butler’s impact, however, is not only at the offensive end. The 29-year-old has established himself as one of the elite two-way players in the NBA.
His impact at the defensive end will make him very tempting to a defensive-minded head coach like David Fizdale. Butler fits the system Fizdale is trying to establish in New York perfectly.
The newly hired head coach has prioritized a positionless basketball system with an emphasis on finding an identity on the defensive end. Butler would be the all-star caliber player that could expedite the process immensely.
The four-time NBA all-defensive team member can legitimately guard three-to-four positions on the floor. At 6’8″ he averaged a career-high two steals per game last year while leading a defensively-challenged Timberwolves roster.
The former 30th overall pick also possesses a chip on his shoulder that could inspire the young players in New York. With a young team searching for an identity, a veteran leader with the work ethic and resume of Butler could prove to be priceless.
Landing Butler without waiting until he is a free agent next summer would come at a high price. Trading for him this summer would cost the Knicks young players or future assets, something that Steve Mills and Scott Perry have spoken against for the entire offseason.
Getting Jimmy Butler could be a turning point for the franchise. A defensive trio of Kristaps Porzingis, Frank Ntilikina, and Jimmy Butler would be a very stout unit going forward.
The addition of Butler would also increase New York’s chances of bringing another star, most notably Kyrie Irving, to New York.
It is hard to find a better fit between coaching style and playing style than David Fizdale and Jimmy Butler, but as of right now it seems highly unlikely that New York makes a formidable offer to Minnesota.
That doesn’t change the fact that a duo of Fizdale and Butler could be a match made in heaven.