Imrem: Butler question inspires another about Chicago Bulls
Social media was all atwitter Tuesday with reports and responses about the Chicago Bulls possibly trading Jimmy Butler.
Meanwhile, sports-talk radio and newspaper stories discussed whether they should.
This question inspires another that we'll address down a few paragraphs: Will Tom Thibodeau win an NBA title before the Bulls will?
First, of course the Bulls should deal Butler if he'll bring a load of assets in return.
The chance of Butler being traded is remote. Bulls management rarely makes a splashy move, generally preferring to hold on to players they drafted.
Butler fills that profile, and he already was propped up as the face of the franchise at the NBA draft lottery.
So don't expect a move involving Butler to happen until it happens.
In the meantime, let's ponder who will win an NBA title first, the Bulls with Fred Hoiberg coaching them or the Timberwolves with Tom Thibodeau coaching them?
You're laughing because the obvious answer is the Wolves with Thibodeau.
The trickier answer is neither of the above.
The Bulls appear to be more likely to go backward before going forward, and the Timberwolves aren't exactly a model NBA franchise.
But in a world where many believe the Cubs will win the World Series as soon as this season, anything is possible.
The Bulls need only for Butler to mature, Derrick Rose to recover his league MVP form, their No. 14 overall draft pick to evolve into the next Michael Jordan, Hoiberg to evolve into the next Phil Jackson and club management to evolve into the next Stephen Hawking.
Then we'll really know anything is possible.
As for the Wolves, they need only to undergo an awakening the way the Warriors did last season.
OK, they also need Thibodeau, also the Wolves' president, to become a championship head coach before he fires himself for insubordination.
Minnesota has many pieces in place and is rumored to be a candidate to acquire Butler and maybe sign Joakim Noah.
Wouldn't it be something if the Wolves won an NBA title with that old Bulls gang - Thibodeau, Butler and Noah - before the Bulls win one with their replacements?
The obvious answer, of course, is Minnesota will do just that if either team wins anything.
The Thibodeau-Bulls race isn't the only one of its type currently in play.
Will the Cubs win a World Series before their former manager Dusty Baker wins one?
Baker managed the Reds into multiple postseasons and now he's with the talented Nationals.
The Cubs and Nats own the National League's two best records, outstanding pitchers at the top of their rotations and a potential date with each other in the playoffs.
That series could determine whether the Cubs or Baker wins a championship, if either wins one at all.
Of course Baker will win one first, considering that the Cubs still don't figure to win one in my lifetime.
Now, will Ozzie Guillen get back into baseball and win another World Series before the White Sox win another one? Will Lovie Smith win a Big Ten title at Illinois before the Bears win a Super Bowl?
Those questions also surfaced while pondering whether the Bulls should trade their best player.
How odd that the Jimmy Butler question might be the easiest of all to answer.
mimrem@dailyherald.com