Things between Jimmy Butler and the Wolves are about to get awkward as NBA teams balk at the price of a trade
- Two weeks from the regular season, the Minnesota Timberwolves have not traded Jimmy Butler.
- According to reports, trade talks between the Wolves and Miami Heat fell off recently, and the Wolves haven't found other deals that meet their demands.
- Tom Thibodeau reportedly plans to ask Jimmy Butler to report to the team until they find a deal, meaning things could get awkward if Butler re-joins a team he's trying to leave.
The NBA regular season is just around the corner, and for now, Jimmy Butler is still on the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Butler informed the Wolves shortly before training camp that he would like to be traded, as he intends to leave in free agency. Butler's preferred destinations reportedly include the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, and Brooklyn Nets.
But since the request, things have gotten messy. The Wolves' front office doesn't appear to be completely unified on the subject. Team president and head coach Tom Thibodeau reportedly has a hope of convincing Butler to stay, while team owner Glen Taylor has pushed for a deal to get done sooner than later. Thibodeau and Wolves GM Scott Layden have reportedly been difficult to reach and wary on trade talks, leading Butler to question whether the team is earnestly trying to deal him.
On Wednesday, The New York Times' Marc Stein reported that talks broke off between the Heat and the Wolves when the Wolves changed the trade proposal. ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Wolves have asked for Heat guard Josh Richardson, second-year big man Bam Adebayo, and a first-round draft pick - a relatively high asking price for a star about to hit free agency. According to Wojnarowski, the Wolves have told teams that no offers have met their standards, so they plan on keeping Butler until they get the right deal.
Since training camp opened, Butler has been away from the team, continuing to rehab from wrist surgery, according to the team. However, according to reports, while the team has been away for preseason, Butler has worked out at the Wolves' facilities.
According to Wojnarowski, when the Wolves return to Minnesota, Thibodeau plans on asking Butler to re-join the team until they find a deal. According to Wojnarowski, Butler has not stated any plans to miss regular-season games.
The next step in this saga is one of the least clear. Few superstars who have requested trades have gotten to this stage, where the team is tentative to make a deal, and real games are bearing down on them.
Kyrie Irving's trade request came in the summer. He reportedly threatened to sit out games, and the Cavs wanted to minimize the distraction. Kawhi Leonard's request came in the summer after games were over (from which he was largely absent, anyway). Carmelo Anthony wanted out of New York and was traded on the eve of training camp. Paul George didn't so much ask for a trade as he let it be known he wasn't re-signing. The Pacers dealt him in late June.
But the Wolves seem content to let the market for Butler play out. Some have argued that the Wolves don't have leverage in this situation, but that's not exactly true - they have Butler, a two-way star player that teams want. Teams will keep calling about Butler and perhaps even raise their price to land him. If it's a team outside of Butler's preferred destinations, they will want him in sooner rather than later so they can begin the recruiting process.
Now it's a matter of when the Wolves find a deal they like and if Butler will report to the team. If he does, it's hard to imagine any topic other than his trade request getting much coverage.