NBA trade rumors: Wolves looking at veteran presence

At the moment, the progress of the Minnesota Timberwolves has been slow and it appears that head coach Tom Thibodeau is not happy with the squad.

Built with a young and outstanding core led by Karl Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn, the team has been below par at 5-10 and place 13^{th in the Western Conference.}

To try and help the team, there have been talks that the head coach wants to enlist a familiar veteran. Initially, it was Luol Deng who was linked to a move to the Wolves, but an updated source revealed that Thibs is looking at Jimmy Butler or Taj Gibson if a deal with Deng does not work out.

Familiarity is apparently what Thibs is after as he has coached these three stars during his time with the Chicago Bulls.

Among the three, Butler is the biggest name and might be the most difficult to get as he is currently the main star in the Bulls' lineup. At the moment, Chicago is thriving with a record above the .500 mark. With good players like Dwyane Wade, Rajon Rondo and Robin Lopez, it appears they are headed on the right direction.

Meanwhile, Gibson can be a great addition for the Wolves as he is a proven utility player for most of his career. Averaging 11.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per game, Gibson's numbers have actually improved this year despite being 31 years old.

So far, he has the starting spot for the Bulls and is shooting a career high of 53 percent from the field.

He may be the most appropriate player that Thibs adds to the Wolves as he has the least biggest contract. His current deal expires at the end of the season. Gibson could get a new lease as a veteran leader in the Wolves under a coach he thrived on during his younger days.