NBA Rumors: Jimmy Butler ‘Reiterated Trade Desire’ In Latest Meeting With Timberwolves, Per Shams Charania
Since the 2018 NBA offseason started, rumors and speculations continue to swirl that Jimmy Butler will part ways with the Minnesota Timberwolves. After suffering an early exit in the Western Conference, the 29-year-old small forward expressed his frustration with his young teammates, specifically Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. Less than a month before the 2018-19 NBA season officially begins, Butler requested a trade from the Timberwolves and gave them a list of his preferred trade destinations.
Timberwolves Head Coach Tom Thibodeau initially hesitated to make Jimmy Butler available on the trading block, but team owner Glen Taylor urged him to trade the disgruntled superstar as soon as possible. Despite the efforts from Thibodeau to convince him to stay in Minnesota, Butler made it clear that he no longer has any interest in wearing the Timberwolves’ jersey. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Butler recently met with Thibodeau in Minnesota to reiterate his trade desire.
“Jimmy Butler has returned to Minnesota and reiterated his trade desire in a meeting with president/coach Tom Thibodeau on Monday, league sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski.”
Several NBA teams have already expressed strong interest in acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Timberwolves. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN revealed that the Timberwolves and the Heat were close in finalizing a trade centered on Butler, but “talks fractured” after Minnesota asked for more compensation in exchange for their disgruntled superstar.
“Minnesota-Miami talks escalated close to a Jimmy Butler deal over weekend – only to see trade fall apart. Minnesota shared Butler’s medical info with Miami, owners were involved and sides prepared to finalize. Minnesota pushed for more, talks fractured.”
Jimmy Butler “reiterated" his desire to be traded in a meeting with Tom Thibodeau on Monday, per @ShamsCharaniahttps://t.co/VfO1zBrF7N pic.twitter.com/nr6qnJQucx
— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) October 9, 2018
It’s easy to understand why the Timberwolves are still expecting a good return for Jimmy Butler. They sacrificed lots of valuable trade assets to acquire him from the Chicago Bulls last summer. When Butler demanded a trade, Timberwolves Head Coach Tom Thibodeau said that they are not going to make a bad deal just to get rid of the All-Star forward.
However, with their asking price, it seems like Thibodeau really doesn’t want to trade Butler. The Los Angeles Clippers tried contacting the Timberwolves about Butler, but they reportedly think Minnesota’s demand is “too high.” A previous Inquisitr article revealed that the Houston Rockets have been “aggressive” in trading for Butler. Unfortunately, it remains questionable if they currently have enough trade assets that can convince the Timberwolves to make a deal.
If the Timberwolves won’t lower their asking price on Jimmy Butler, it is highly likely that the drama in Minnesota will continue until the 2018-19 NBA season starts.
