Zach LaVine tried to stick to his same routine on the night of this summer’s NBA draft.

He waited to see the Timberwolves draft Kris Dunn at No. 5 overall, then made his way to the gym to shoot.

“You’ve just got to keep your head out of the media,” LaVine said.

Easier said than done when your name is floating around in trade conversations for the first time in your career. LaVine’s name and Minnesota’s No. 5 pick were dropped in trade rumors surrounding a potential reunion between Bulls forward Jimmy Butler and first-year Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau this summer.

Players try to block out rumors, but they’re everywhere. Odds are they’re going to see them.

At one point on draft day, LaVine called teammate and close friend Andrew Wiggins. The message: “Hey dog, I might be out of here.”

Truth is, LaVine had “no idea” whether or not he was on the move to Chicago, where he and the Wolves will be Tuesday for a matchup with the Bulls.

“You talk to your agents, you talk to your family and you really just don’t know until you really talk to the staff and the team,” LaVine said. “You have no idea. It’s different. First time going through it, it’s a little different. I feel like it happens. It’s the NBA.”

LaVine saw that firsthand during the summer of 2014, when he was drafted No. 13 overall by Minnesota. Wiggins was the top pick in that draft and essentially sat in limbo for months until he was officially traded from Cleveland to the Timberwolves.

“There’ve been so many trades where it’s all-stars, future hall of famers, so anybody can be traded at any time,” LaVine said. “You’ve just got to enjoy your time with your team and friends and make the most of every opportunity.”

Of course, as it turned out, LaVine wasn’t dealt and Butler is still in Chicago. And while the Wolves have struggled mightily early in the season, LaVine has thrived offensively. He’s averaging 20.2 points and three assists per game while shooting 47 percent from the floor and 37 percent from three-point range.

LaVine was third in the NBA at 37.2 minutes a game entering Sunday’s game against Golden State.

“He’s become much more consistent with his shot,” Thibodeau said. “He’s always been a great runner in transition, but I think his ability now to put it on the floor, finish at the rim, his pull-up (jumper), working on the pick and roll, he’s really worked hard on his game and I think he’s growing defensively. I think he’s making strides every day.”

But that doesn’t mean LaVine will be in Minnesota forever. He knows that every athlete in pro sports is on the trading block for the right price.

“You understand, when you come in here, it’s a business,” LaVine said. “And you may be loved and there may be people that you like here, but at the end of the day, it’s a business.

“I love the Timberwolves and I love this organization,” LaVine said. “But I understand that it’s a business, and while I’m here, I’ll do anything to help.”