After weeks and weeks of posting about Jimmy Butler, I’ve decided to make my 100th post as the Dunking With Wolves Co-Expert dedicated to getting Butler the heck out of a Minnesota Timberwolves jersey – it’s time.
Before I begin to state my frustration on the drama that is the Minnesota Timberwolves‘ Jimmy Butler, let me just say that this has been the craziest roller-coaster I’ve witnessed as an avid NBA fan. The way the front office and Jimmy Butler handled themselves throughout this ordeal should be a reminder to sports teams across the world – keep your problems within your organization as much as you can.
Butler has essentially made it known to Minnesota that he doesn’t respect them, he doesn’t want to be there, and he could care less about the future of the Wolves. Which not only gives you insight on Butler, but also insight on who Tom Thibodeau is by letting Butler stay with the team for as long as he has.
As for not trading Butler because there haven’t been enough “solid” offers, that can’t be true after seeing the recent Houston Rockets trade news. Before I get to that, I’ll start with the fact that this whole site is tired of writing these posts, mostly because Tom Thibodeau seems incompetent.
However, it looks like Thibs won’t be included in these trade ideas after all, so what do I know.
Thibs reportedly "removed" from trade talks by Wolves, according to @AmicoHoops:https://t.co/YI9UbdzxkQ #Twolves
— Dunking With Wolves (@DunkingWolvesFS) October 26, 2018
And if this is true, you can expect General Manager Scott Layden to get something done soon.
In total, we’ve written over twenty pieces related to trading Jimmy Butler. And while it may seem obvious that the Minnesota Timberwolves are going to take advantage of the potential trade offer laid out by the Houston Rockets, sources are saying that it may not happen after all – which is no surprise to me.
If you’ve been under a rock and haven’t heard of the trade situation, look no further. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports the current team discussions below:
"Via, ESPN Houston’s push represents a desire to sacrifice some long-term roster flexibility and go all-in with a legitimate third star to partner with All-NBA guards James Harden and Chris Paul in pursuit of a championship. The Rockets’ offer constitutes the maximum number of first-round picks allowable in a deal, factoring in league rules that necessitate no first-rounders can be conveyed in successive years, and no pick can be traded farther out than seven seasons. The lottery protections on picks in this proposed deal would be limited.Discussions on the players involved in the Minnesota-Houston talks remain fluid, league sources said. So far, Minnesota has been unmoved on offers for Butler, who requested a trade in the preseason and has told the organization that he plans to leave in free agency this summer. The Rockets would be trading for Butler with a strong desire to re-sign him this summer to a long-term contract extension. Butler, 29, plans to become an unrestricted free agent."
Woj goes on to illustrate that the trade could possibly include guard Brandon Knight and forward Marquese Chriss – but its been reported that the Wolves aren’t interested in Knight’s contract.
Moreover, the story that’s been reported over the past week is that Minnesota wants nothing to do with those two (currently injured) players and that even with four first round draft picks, they won’t likely make that transaction.
In conclusion, I’ve created a ‘master-key’ of sorts for trade ideas that could send Jimmy Butler to any team around the league. Because frankly, if we’ve seen one consistency throughout this frenzy, it’s obvious no one knows what the trade will be – not even Woj.
As we move on through these thirty trades, I’d like to note that all thirty will include every team in the NBA and most of them will give several possibilities for each team to acquire Jimmy Buckets.
Every trade has gone through the ESPN trade machine and is (or will be) contractually legal.