After a predictable playoffs, with Golden State smashing everyone to smithereens en route to a second championship in three years, the first few days of the off-season have been full of intrigue for the rest of the N.B.A.: With the Warriors raising the bar to a preposterous level, it was time to let the building — and the rebuilding — begin.
The maneuvering began in earnest at the N.B.A. draft on Thursday night. Right around the time that the Philadelphia 76ers opened the festivities at Barclays Center by selecting Markelle Fultz, as expected, with the top overall pick, the Minnesota Timberwolves were busy making the biggest splash of the evening by acquiring the All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler in a trade with the Chicago Bulls.