Tom Thibodeau is at it again, reportedly attempting to convince one of his former players with the Chicago Bulls to sign with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Thibodeau and the Wolves are pursuing 33-year-old forward Luol Deng, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.
The Wolves have launched their planned pursuit of @LuolDeng9, league sources say, after the veteran forward became a free agent by clearing waivers earlier this week
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) September 5, 2018
Deng signed a four-year, $72 million contract with the Lakers in the summer of 2016, and he was just bought out of the remaining two years of the deal, making him a free agent.
The 6-foot-9 former two-time All-Star has always been a terrific defender, and if he’s able to stay healthy he would be an immediate upgrade to the Wolves’ depth. Whether he’d be in the starting lineup or come off the bench would be the big question, but considering he played in just one game last season and 56 the year before, the 16-year veteran has enough mileage on his legs that a bench role might best suit him.
I can think of a lot of worse ways to spend a minimum salary than on Luol Deng, but we’ll see how it goes
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) September 5, 2018
Of course, the Wolves have to sign him first. If they do, Thibodeau will be reunited with four-fifths of his starting lineup during his heydays with the Bulls: Derrick Rose, Jimmy Butler, Deng and Taj Gibson.
The only missing piece to truly transform into the TimberBulls would be Joakim Noah.
