Minnesota views Butler as a franchise player. He might be, but they still need to trade him.
The Timberwolves are currently not interested in trading Jimmy Butler. Instead, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, they’re shooting down all teams reaching out about a deal for the All-Star forward, telling them he is a franchise player they intend to keep.
Butler let Tom Thibodeau and Wolves brass know he wants out of Minnesota on Wednesday, and while it’s not what Thibodeau wanted to hear, it was the best possible way for him to hear it. Now, it looks as though Minnesota’s front office is doing themselves no favors. This isn’t a smart way to go about this situation. Here’s why.
Butler gave the Wolves a head start
When Paul George wanted out of Indiana, he let Pacers management know a year before his contract was set to expire. Indiana got Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis in the George trade. The Pacers made the playoffs after a magical season, and Oladipo looks like the star that city needs. George never even signed in Los Angeles.
This summer, Kawhi Leonard gave the Spurs a similar message. He let San Antonio know his plan was to leave when the 2019 free agency came around, and that he preferred to be traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. Leonard was traded to Toronto shortly after for DeMar DeRozan and Jakob Poeltl. San Antonio lost a superstar, but recouped an All-Star.
Butler is affording the Timberwolves the same opportunity. He has the option to become a free agent, play in a big market like New York or Los Angeles, and command a $35 million salary next summer. Butler will exercise that option. It would make no sense not to.
By giving the Wolves a year’s notice, he’s giving them a head start on finding the best possible return. This is a two-way All-Star who propelled Minnesota to its first playoff appearance since Kevin Garnett won MVP in 2004.
The Wolves don’t even need to trade him to one of his three preferred destinations: Brooklyn, New York or the L.A. Clippers. They just need to find the best players available in return, and the interest is there. According to Wojnarowski, rival executive are “lobbing” calls in. Butler is a winner. He’s not without fault, but many teams would rather have this guy on their team than not.
Unfortunately, the Wolves remain one of those teams, even though Butler insists he wants out. And that hard-headedness, the reluctance to part ways with a star who wants out, has Tom Thibodeau written all over it.
After all, it was Thibodeau who traded for Butler in the first place and turned Minnesota into an aged rendition of his 2013 Chicago Bulls. It was Thibodeau who delivered on ending the Wolves’ 14-year playoff drought, and it’s Thibodeau who doesn’t want that drought to return after just one season. Thibodeau’s job is tied to his ability to keep these Wolves relevant, and all signs point to relevance walking right out the door with Butler in a trade.
Minnesota still needs to make a move on a deal
A playoff appearance this season isn’t keeping Jimmy Butler in town. If he wants to win a championship, the Western Conference is the worst place to be.
The Wolves exist in a world where the Warriors won back-to-back championships before signing DeMarcus Cousins. Where the Rockets paired James Harden and Chris Paul, then signed Carmelo Anthony. Where the Lakers handed the keys to the kingdom over to LeBron James. And where teams like Utah, Denver, Oklahoma City, New Orleans and Portland are all jawing for playoff position.
Minnesota is in basketball limbo, and Butler knows that. There is no championship to be won on the Timberwolves. Not now. But there’s a future to be built around Karl-Anthony Towns, and thanks to a five-year max contract extension, Andrew Wiggins, too.
Butler, all of 29 years old, does not fit into that future, and he knows it. That’s why he gave Minnesota a head’s up. The man is going to leave the Timberwolves next summer, and if they wait until next summer, there won’t be a thing he can do about it.
Even if Thibodeau doesn’t want to trade his star forward, there’s another way to get it done. Wolves owner Glen Taylor worked closely with management to get trades done for both Kevin Garnett and Kevin Love. With all owners present at the Board of Governors meeting in New York City, there’s belief teams can make a run at Butler through Taylor in-person.
If the Wolves do something about this situation now, like find a trade that brings in a young player and draft picks, they can right this ship. If they wait, a wreck is inevitable.
The clock is ticking. And one way or another, time is going to run out.