The NBA world is anxiously waiting for the Timberwolves to trade Jimmy Butler, but new reports Thursday morning indicate that a deal is nowhere close to being done.
Trading a disgruntled superstar like Butler doesn’t just happen overnight, but the holdup in the Wolves dealing Butler might have more to do with the willingness Tom Thibodeau has to trade him.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe report:
“Minnesota’s asking price for Jimmy Butler remains too steep for teams. Minny seeks quality vets/top prospects/future assets/cap relief. Too high a price for interested teams, including Miami. Sources are skeptical of Thibodeau’s desire to make deal.”
Thibodeau is on record saying he won’t trade Butler if the deal isn’t good for the Wolves, which makes sense, but if it’s true that Butler has no plans to wear a Wolves uniform again, he could hold out and basically force Minnesota to trade him just so they don’t lose him for nothing next summer in free agency.
Butler did not take part in the team’s media day on Monday and he hasn’t joined the team for either of their opening two days of training camp.
The situation gets crazier with news from the likes of long time reporter Chris Sheridan saying he has a source who is convinced Thibodeau is refusing to trade Butler with hopes of getting fired.
A source who knows everything and everyone surrounding the @JimmyButler trade told me this: "Thibs actually wants to get fired." @Wolves
— Chris Sheridan (@sheridanhoops) September 27, 2018
It’s a wildly aggressive claim and simple logic should make everyone who sees the report question where it came from. Is his source trying to put pressure on Wolves owner Glen Taylor so he’ll step in and make a bad deal for Butler?
Taylor told NBA owners last weekend that he’s trading Butler and it’s just a matter of when, as Wojnarowski reported.
“The owner’s trading him,” one Board of Governors attendee told ESPN on Friday. “That was made clear. It’s just a matter of when.” https://t.co/MMrB4gVX8P
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 21, 2018
We’ll see what happens, but the drama is rising with each passing hour Butler isn’t traded.
