The Jimmy Butler saga in Minnesota finally ended on Saturday when the Timberwovles traded the disgruntled star to Philadelphia for an assortment of players and picks. The deal, on its face, seems like a good one for a Sixers team that is in a position to sign Butler long-term and make a legitimate push for an NBA title.
As for Minnesota, well, Butler leaves the team he joined last summer in less-than-ideal fashion. Tempers between players, management and coaches were ostensibly high. Plus Tom Thibodeau didn’t want to trade Butler, and after his request, it was clear that ownership, not Thibs, wanted to move Butler out of town.
But as the season began and the Timberwolves struggled, it seemed inevitable that something had to be done. According to a report, even Thibodeau knew after a winless road trip that something had to break.
After an 0-5 trip, the Wolves finally decided they had to make a move. Talks picked up this morning and a deal was finalized. They simply couldn’t hold out any longer
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) November 10, 2018
If the report is true, it’s a huge turnaround from a coach/team president who tried very hard to mend fences between Butler and the rest of the organization. The Timberwolves have essentially punted a month of the season in an effort to fix the mess Butler made, and now, Thibodeau will have to rectify this for an organization that’s made a commitment to Karl-Anthony Towns and a young core with whom Butler clearly didn’t mesh.
Still, another report indicates that after Friday night’s game, Thobideau decided Butler simply couldn’t play on his team anymore.
After winless 5-game road trip that ended with loss Sacramento on Friday night, Tom Thibodeau had come to realization that the Wolves couldn't win with Butler in this dysfunctional environment, sources said. He told associates that Minny wouldn't play another game with Butler.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 10, 2018
And so Butler moves on to Philadelphia, where hopefully his drive and passion on the court doesn’t rub Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons the wrong way. It did with teammates in Minnesota, and things didn’t end well in Chicago, either. Butler had the support of Thibodeau for a long time in Minnesota, but this week, it seems it all finally ran thin.
