Report: Wolves make No. 5 pick available in hope of landing Butler

The Minnesota Timberwolves are looking to reunite new head coach Tom Thibodeau with one of his star pupils from his days manning the sidelines in the Windy City.

The team is willing to give up the No. 5 pick in the 2016 NBA draft to tempt the Chicago Bulls into trading All-Star shooting guard Jimmy Butler, league sources told ESPN's Marc Stein.

The Bulls haven't indicated that they're looking to move Butler, but according to Stein, they are keeping their ears open to possible trade scenarios coming from other teams.

Should a deal be struck, Chicago would demand to be appropriately compensated for a talent at the level of Butler, which could include a high lottery pick and frontcourt player.

Butler played four seasons under Thibodeau in Chicago prior to his dismissal at the end of the 2014-15 season, helping lead the team to four playoff appearances during that span.

When asked about the possibility of the organization dealing him over the offseason back in April, the 26-year-old stressed that Chicago is where he wanted to be.

"That's why I'm here," Butler told ESPN.com. "I don't plan on going anywhere. I can't control what everybody else does. I know that this is the city that I love, Chicago. And I want to wear that jersey. I want to wear that name on the front, and I wear it proudly. All I got to do is continue to control what I can control. That's try to help this team win games."

Butler signed a five-year, $90-million contract with Chicago last summer. He averaged a career-high 20.9 points on 45.4 percent shooting, 5.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.6 steals in 67 appearances last season for the 42-40 Bulls, who narrowly missed out on the postseason for the first time since 2007-08.