Wolves among teams willing to help facilitate Jimmy Butler trade
Could the Timberwolves be involved in a Jimmy Butler trade? It’s a possibility, according to NBA insider Marc Stein. But the key thing to note is that if it happens, Minnesota wouldn’t be the team landing Butler, who has requested to be traded by the Miami Heat ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.
The idea here is that the Wolves could look to help facilitate a Butler trade, which may have to involve at least three teams for contract reasons. What that would look like for Minnesota is unclear, but their interest would presumably be due to improving their financial flexibility or perhaps adding draft capital. Could a massive deal between three or four teams potentially involve Julius Randle being moved? There are lots of questions to be asked.
Here’s what Stein said in the latest post on his Substack page:
“My pal Doug Smith of The Toronto Star wrote earlier this week that the Raptors are volunteering to participate in an eventual Butler trade as a third- or fourth-team facilitator that doesn’t land Butler but takes part in the transaction. When I relayed that to one well-placed source, I was told that ‘about half the league’ has made similar feelings known to the Heat as they try to concoct a trade that brings this saga to an end. That group is believed to include the Timberwolves … but, again, in the role of trade facilitator and not with the intent to bring Butler back to Minnesota after he unforgettably forced a trade from the Timberwolves to the 76ers during the 2018-19 season.”
As Stein mentions, Butler’s tenure in Minnesota was a volatile one. Traded from the Bulls to the Wolves in a 2017 deal for a package centered around Zach LaVine, Butler made the All-Star game and helped the Wolves end their long playoff drought in that 2017-18 season. But things infamously got very messy heading into the 2018-19 campaign, with Butler forcing his way out. He landed with Philadelphia that November and then ended up in Miami the next offseason. He’s been with the Heat ever since, but now the mercurial 35-year-old star is seeking the fourth trade of his career.
It sounds like Tim Connelly and other executives see Butler’s trade demand as a possible avenue to improve their own teams — but not by adding Butler to their roster.
