Report: Jimmy Butler skeptical Timberwolves actually searching for trade

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Jimmy Butler

Jimmy Butler and his representatives have grown frustrated by how the Minnesota Timberwolves have handled his trade request and are skeptical of whether the franchise is truly trying to find a deal, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.

Butler has requested a trade from the Timberwolves and is away from the team. The four-time All-Star reportedly prefers to play for the Miami Heat, but also wouldn’t mind a deal to the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets or New York Knicks.

While head coach/president Tom Thibodeau and general manager Scott Layden were reportedly uninterested in working on a deal as they preferred to keep Jimmy Butler, owner Glen Taylor intervened that he would entertain trade offers from rival owners and GMs. Taylor knows Butler has issues with big man Karl-Anthony Towns and small forward Andrew Wiggins and doesn’t want a dysfunctional locker room this season.

Butler and his camp believe the Timberwolves’ asking price for Butler is too high and that’s why a deal hasn’t been made yet. In 59 games last season, Butler averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from beyond the arc.

So far, the Heat and Houston Rockets are the two teams aggressively pursuing a Butler trade. Our own Brandon Robinson reported last week that the Rockets are prepared to create a trade package centered around shooting guard Eric Gordon and some fillers for Butler. Gordon is unlikely to extend his current contract with the Rockets and will become an unrestricted free agent following the 2019-20 season.

The Heat are willing to trade center Hassan Whiteside and shooting guard Dion Waiters to Minnesota, but Thibodeau has no interest in either player.

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