NBA Rumors: Bulls, Timberwolves Could Explore Otto Porter Jr. For Andrew Wiggins Trade, Per ‘Da Windy City’
After suffering another disappointment in the 2018-19 NBA season, the Minnesota Timberwolves could be starting to realize that giving Andrew Wiggins a massive contract extension is a huge mistake. The decision didn’t only force Jimmy Butler to demand a trade, but it is also expected to haunt the Timberwolves salary cap flexibility for the next couple of years. Luckily, in the 2019 NBA offseason, the Timberwolves will have the opportunity to correct their wrongdoings by finding a team who is willing to absorb Wiggins and the three-years and $122 million left on his contract.
According to Ryan Heckman of Fansided’s Da Windy City, one of the NBA teams who could express interest in trading for Andrew Wiggins is the Chicago Bulls. In the proposed trade deal, the Timberwolves will be sending Wiggins, Dario Saric, and the No. 11 and No. 43 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft to the Bulls in exchange for Otto Porter Jr. and the No. 38 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The deal works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine. If the trade becomes a reality, it will be beneficial not only for the Timberwolves but also for the Bulls.
“The Timberwolves would shed Wiggins’ deal which still has four long, grueling years left on it. In return, they get an upgrade in Porter, whose contract has a player option next summer, and will cost the Wolves a little less in his remaining year(s). Wiggins reunites with his friend, LaVine, who might just help spark a turnaround in his career. Wiggins had (and still possesses) so much raw potential, but hasn’t been able to put it all together. Could a fresh start help him finally take off?”
Andrew Wiggins is set up to succeed in 2019-20.https://t.co/upZl1GIv5j pic.twitter.com/ktxnvwIpuf
— Kyle Ratke (@Kyle_Ratke) June 11, 2019
Otto Porter Jr. will undeniably be an intriguing replacement for Andrew Wiggins on the Timberwolves’ wing. With the years he spent playing alongside John Wall and Bradley Beal in Washington, Porter Jr. could serve as a better sidekick for Karl-Anthony Towns than Wiggins. After being traded to the Bulls before the February NBA trade deadline, the 26-year-old small forward has posted incredible numbers, averaging 17.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals on 48.3 percent shooting from the field and 48.8 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Meanwhile, in exchange for absorbing Andrew Wiggins’ massive contract, the Bulls will receive a young and promising forward in Dario Saric and draft picks that could help them speed up the rebuilding process. Wiggins isn’t completely a financial burden as the Bulls could try to bring him to the right path to becoming a legitimate superstar in the league. Wiggins is only 24 and still has lots of room to grow. Being on a new environment may help him revive his NBA career and prove that he deserves to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.
