Why Teams Won’t Deal for Jimmy Butler

The 2018-19 NBA season is almost underway, but the Minnesota Timberwolves seemingly are not close to ready. After months of frustration, Jimmy Butler has finally hit the boiling point with the rest of the roster and front office. A heated practice on Wednesday leads us to wonder whether this broken relationship between Butler and Minnesota management can suffice.

After just one season with the Wolves, Butler’s 36.7 minutes per game were his lowest since the 2012-13 season, yet the rest of his numbers were on par for the most part. Granted he missed a large portion of the season, the passion is unavoidable when you read a player such as Butler. That being said, is he worth any sort of rental from a contending franchise?

After declining a four-year, $100 million extension back in July, it’s obvious that Butler will explore all of his options as an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019. Only negative reports have come from Minnesota’s headquarters since then, and Butler has been the eye of the storm.

According to reports, the Minnesota Timberwolves are hesitant to deal away the small forward. After openly requesting a trade, only the Miami Heat have been active in trade talks with Minnesota. In a deal including Josh Richardson and a projected first-round pick, the Timbewolves were quick to reject the offer.

The situation at hand is obvious: Outside franchises are aware that Butler will explore his options next summer, regardless of where he is dealt to. It doesn’t make sense to gut the future of a roster in order to gain unknown success for one season. Dealing for a player of Butler’s caliber is special, but keeping him signed long-term is a difficult task on its own.