No. 1: Report: Wolves among teams in pursuit of Rose -- Of the five names who comprise the current Minnesota Timberwolves' coaching staff, four of them have ties to Chicago Bulls -- the foremost, of course, being coach Tom Thibodeau. That crew was instrumental in Derrick Rose's rise to MVP status in the 2010-11 season, but since then, injuries have taken Rose's game down a few pegs. As the trade deadline nears, Rose (and his expiring contract) are appealing to some teams and as Ian Begley of ESPN.com reports, the Timberwolves are one such club interested in him:

The Minnesota Timberwolves have reached out to the Knicks recently to discuss potential trades for New York point guard Derrick Rose, sources told ESPN. Rose, a free agent this summer, played for seven seasons under current Timberwolves and ex-Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. It is unclear what Minnesota would offer in a potential trade for Rose. Sources say the Timberwolves are motivated to trade veteran point guard Ricky Rubio, as team president and coach Thibodeau sees rookie Kris Dunn as the point guard of the future for Minnesota. The Timberwolves, sources say, are among several teams to reach out to the Knicks asking about potential trades for Rose. ... Rose, in his first season in New York, is averaging 17.7 points per game on 46 percent shooting in 48 games. He has missed time due to back spasms and an ankle injury, but Rose's knees, which caused him to miss major portions of recent seasons, have been healthy. Knicks president Phil Jackson traded for Rose last summer, the first move made to compile a roster that the organization hoped would compete for a playoff spot.

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No. 2: Report: Butler's camp under impression he won't be dealt -- All-Star big man DeMarcus Cousins was officially dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans yesterday ... is another All-Star about to be moved days later? Chicago Bulls star Jimmy Butler has had his name floated in trade rumors for a while -- particularly in deals involving the Boston Celtics -- but according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune, a Butler trade may not happen:

The Celtics own attractive assets for a team seeking a full rebuild. The Bulls have a superstar with experience guarding LeBron James in the postseason. And the teams engaged in serious talks in June that centered on Jimmy Butler. The issue, at least as of Monday, is that the speculation is based more on assumed fit than reality. Plenty can happen before Thursday's 2 p.m. trade deadline, but according to multiple sources, the Bulls and Celtics haven't held substantive talks about Butler since June, and Butler's camp is under the impression that the Bulls won't move the three-time All-Star this week. ... The more pertinent takeaway from the Kings' decision to cut bait with Cousins is the wariness to pay such a volatile star the $200 million-plus extension he likely would have earned from the designated player exception in the new bargaining agreement. Butler also could command such a price tag on his extension, a wrinkle that didn't exist in June. And even then, at least one of the Bulls' four principal decision-makers advocated for a full rebuild. Of course, even if the Bulls were to reach an organizational consensus on trading Butler before Thursday, it takes two to tango. And league sources indicated the Celtics have been underwhelmed by all preliminary offers for their main future assets — the Nets' 2017 and 2018 first-round picks. The former could be the top pick in a strong draft. Butler consistently has said he wants to remain a Bull. Management never has publicly committed to Butler, although Kings general manager Vlade Divac did so to Cousins and then promptly traded him for less than market value. What Bulls GM Gar Forman has stated publicly is his desire to remain competitive as he attempts to make the roster younger and more athletic. Trading Butler would fly in the face of both goals.

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No. 3: Kings fans unhappy with what team got for Cousins -- For better or for worse, DeMarcus Cousins had become the face of the Sacramento Kings for the last 6 1/2 seasons. Then came yesterday, when he was officially dealt to the New Orleans Pelicans for Tyreke Evans, Buddy Hield, Langston Galloway and first- and second-round draft picks this summer. Kings fans had their say about the move, writes Victor Contreras and Joe Davidson of The Sacramento Bee, and they weren't exactly thrilled: