The Wolves are reportedly divided on a Jimmy Butler trade, and it's turning into a mess

pulse

September 25, 2018 9:53 PM

Though Jimmy Butler maintains that he won't play for the Wolves again, head coach and president Tom Thibodeau is reportedly hopeful of convincing Butler to stay with the team.

Jimmy Butler requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves last week.
According to reports, Wolves coach and president Tom Thibodeau is still hoping to convince Butler to stay, while Butler is staying away from the team and maintaining that he won't play for the Wolves again.
Rival teams have reportedly begun contacting Wolves owner Glen Taylor to discuss potential trades because they cannot get through to Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden.
Butler even reportedly sought out Taylor to make sure the team was pursuing trades in good faith.

It's been nearly one week since Jimmy Butler requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the aftermath hasn't been smooth, according to reports.

Butler's request has put the Wolves in a tough spot. It came one week before training camp, and Butler also reportedly gave a list of three teams — the Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, and Brooklyn Nets — that he would sign extensions with if he were traded.

With Butler likely to hit free agency at the end of the season, the Wolves have little leverage. Teams know Butler wants out, and they won't trade a haul for a player who could be a rental.

Internally, the Wolves seem divided on the situation. According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, head coach and team president Tom Thibodeau is hopeful of convincing Butler to stay with the team and has been hesitant in committing to trading the star wing.

According to reports, teams have begun reaching out to Taylor to discuss potential trades because they can't get through to Thibodeau and Layden. Krawczynski wrote that Thibodeau and Layden are "two of the most buttoned-up executives in the NBA."

According to Wojnarowski, rival teams are unclear about what kind of package the Wolves are seeking for Butler, though many believe they want to remain competitive this year, rather than blowing up the roster and rebuilding.

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