The latest NBA soap opera that seemingly takes a new twist and turn every day is the Jimmy Butler trade saga in Minnesota. Tom Thibodeau has been reluctant to deal the star since the trade request and has tried to convince him to join the Timberwolves for camp.
Owner Glen Taylor has apparently instructed GM Scott Layden to press forward on a deal, but Thibodeau remains involved, and there are reports some teams believe he’s purposefully tanking trade talks by demanding too much in return for Butler. On Wednesday, it was reported that the Miami Heat are the latest team to grow frustrated with the Wolves’ demands, causing a “breakdown” in talks.
That’s not to say talks are over and the Heat are out of it, but the “significant progress” made has taken a major step back. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski corroborated that report, noting the Heat remain the Wolves’ main discussion partner, but a deal is not expected tonight despite Miami hoping that could be the case. As for Butler, he continues to wait to find out where he’ll play at the start of the season, but according to Woj, even if a deal isn’t done by the start of the season, he plans to play when the regular season begins.
Sources: Barring a trade, Tom Thibodeau is still determined to get Butler back with the team for start of season. Butler hasn't made a final decision on when he'll join team and practice, but he doesn't plan to miss regular season games if his wrist is healthy. https://t.co/iQypvZ88ad
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 4, 2018
That would certainly make for an awkward situation in Minnesota, but that may help the Timberwolves in talks. If the start of the season doesn’t have to be a hard deadline for a deal, they at least have some leverage with teams given their demands.
Still, it’s hard to imagine Taylor wants that cloud hanging over the team considering he excused Butler from media day to avoid it being an even bigger circus than it already was. The strange internal cat-and-mouse game will continue, it appears, as Thibodeau tries to hang on to Butler while everyone else seems to be pushing for a resolution (including Butler). If opening night rolls around and Butler is still on the roster, expect him there in a Wolves jersey.
