Entering free agency this summer, speculation over where LeBron James and Paul George would sign dominated the news cycle. Then came the Kawhi Leonard saga after he demanded a trade out of San Antonio.
Heading into training camp, Jimmy Butler has taken center stage. His desire to be traded as quickly as possible approaching his walk year has become the big story. Butler told Timberwolves head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden that he wants out but Thibodeau isn’t about to give away his All-Star swingman, according to a Sports Illustrated report.
Offering young players and/or picks for Butler apparently won’t get a deal done, as Thibodeau wants to get deeper in the playoffs and not reverse course. Butler’s preferred team, according to reports, is the Clippers with the two New York teams next on his wish list.
None of those teams has a player of Butler’s caliber, except for the Knicks’ Kristaps Porzingis, whom New York has no intention of dealing. The top veteran the Clippers could dangle is Tobias Harris, who will also be a free agent next summer after turning down an extension offer.
If Butler is traded, he could go just about anywhere, as Minnesota plans to make him available to “any team,” according to the SI report. Up-and-coming teams like the Suns and Nuggets could be in the mix if they are willing to deal away some of their assets.
That leads us to our topic of the day: Where do you think Jimmy Butler will end up this season?
Please take to the comments section to weigh in on this topic. We look forward to your feedback.
Injury List
Lol
Washington or Portland is my best guess.
Charlotte. They want to give Kemba a reason to stay and had interest before the Bulls sent him to Minnesota.
I’m hoping he goes to the 76ers for Covington and Fultz. But I doubt that’ll happen.
Saric fultz and a pick.
Overpay. How about letting Fultz play and pan out… they have cap space this coming offseason to sign another piece. So keep everyone plus get a player vs lose 3.
very possible along with a pick ..
Is he really an all star of he asked to sit out the all star game?
Wherever he goes, he can take the GM/Coach with him. What a bonehead, short sighted trade. BTW: How has that brittle #16 pick worked out for the Wolves?
Agreed
Butler isn’t willing to play the next 5 years for less than Wiggins, so Minnesota is out. Thibbs doesn’t want young players, he wants vets. Butler wants a max contract. The Clippers can offer Butler and Kawhi a max this summer. Jerry West will do anything to get Kawhi. Kawhi is trying to recruit another star to play with. Butler is a star. The Clippers are the preferred destination for both Kawhi and Jimmy. The Clippers can send Gallinari (plays same position as Jimmy), Patrick Beverly (Minnesota doesn’t like Teague), and throw in a 1st round pick. Thibbs gets his vets. Butler and Kawhi get their preferred destinations. Butler doesn’t have to play for less money than Wiggins the next 5 years.
I doubt Karl Anthony-Towns will play for less money than Wiggins either. Cleveland didn’t fare well in the Kyrie trade. It’s looking like Thibbs didn’t fare well in the Butler trade.
No one wants to play for clippers other than for cash. Winning rings is more important and with kawhi and jimmy clippers still have little to no chance to win. Clippers are cellar dwellers destined for lottery. Kawhi or jimmy can go to lakers with the best current player in the world and youth and compete for rings yearly. Easy decision.
Doesn’t matter. Kawhi and Jimmy both say they prefer to play for Clippers, and what they say matters. They sign the contracts. Lakers aren’t going to win any rings with Golden State around. Jimmy and Kawhi don’t want to play 2nd fiddle to LeBron.
Lakers won’t trade Ingram or Kuzma and nobody wants anybody else. That leaves the Lakers with ability to sign “1” other player this summer.
Has kawhi actually said….. ANYTHING lol. His reps have plenty to say, but he has been more or less silent.
That’s why Kawhi and Butler fit together. I saw Butler on Fox’s The Herd with Colin Coward. Like Kawhi, Butler likes to keep to himself and stay out of the social media.
Butler is exceptionally active on all of his social media accounts
Delusional, clippers are trash and yes lakers will win rings before clippers even come close again. If you base your info on what cowheard said then theres not much that can help you.
Making things up is fun isn’t it
It won’t be Milwaukee.
Clippers.
The shoe fits.
Min can acquire any combination of wings and F’s from LAC and convince itself of a potential Top 4 seed coming into the season.
Jimmy gets a big market where he’s the unquestioned alpha.
And the Clips get a much needed boost in star power after jettisoning it’s once Big 3.
With or without Butler, the Clippers will be a lottery team this season.
If jimmy does go to a team both nets and knicks stand out due to there salary and ability to aquire additional talent. Knicks have 3 pieces that look high quality building blocks with the ability to sign to max free agents next summer. Adding kyrie and jimmy combined with knox kp and robinson look to be a top 3 team in the east. Nets have a slightly lesser positive view because they lack high end youth but sill boast the cash to outright sign additional stars. These appear to be the best spots for butler.
Knicks don’t want to trade and Jimmy says he wants Clippers first, Knicks 2nd, and New Jersey only if he can’t have Clippers or Knicks. Is willing to listen to others, but won’t promise signing an extension, ala Kawhi.
New Jersey?
“S P U R S” . . .
Won’t happen…but trade Lowry and another pick, get butler and kawhi in Toronto!
This is exactly what I said yesterday. Lowry and wright for Butler and teague
Go look up his introductory press conference with the Wolves and see how it sounds now.
Too much work for someone else’s point.
Knicks for Frank, next years #1, and Courtney Lee
If vets are what Thibs wants, then the Knicks may actually work. Wolves don’t shoot the 3 well, which is a pre-requisite in today’s NBA. Lee, Thomas, Robinson and the Knicks 2020 first gives Thibs the now, and the future.
By clearing the $21M that Lee, Thomas and Robinson would be earning next year, that would give the Knicks approximately $57M to spend. Butler starts at $36, so the Knicks would only need to clear one more salary to create another max spot.
Not saying this is what the Wolves should do, but Thibs is killing that team long term by trying to win with a flawed roster today.
Knicks are doing like Magic. They say they won’t trade for somebody they can sign this summer.
How about Butler and Justin Patton for Lauri Markkanen, Zach Lavine and Kris Dunn? Of wait. Lol
Thibs may just hang on to Jimmy B to try and make playoffs. He may get fired anyway, so why not try. I am not so sure a team would want his full Bird rights and get stuck with paying the guy 190 over 5 years. That should, would & does scare teams. Clippers just dumped a long term Blake Griffin contract, why be in a hurry to replace it with another albatross deal. When the trade deadline arrives if team is failing then he would trade him I think (at owner request) and start with the want ads. Jimmy may see himself a CP3 level of player but I doubt other organizations do. He wants a trade by Monday, well Boo Hoo.
The only player of real value for the Timberwolves (assuming his knee is good) on either the Knicks, Nets, or Clippers is Porzingis who I assume will not be made available.
T-Wolves should let Butler walk next summer, get his $140 million someplace else, and leave the extra $50 million he could get from Minnesota on the table. There in no good reason or the Timberwolves to do a bad deal (quality for quantity) just to accommodate Butler and the Knicks or Nets or Clippers.
I’d say Denver
A long shot but I’ll go out on a limb and predict nuggets! Butler for harris jr and filler! Works for both teams butler covers for a lot of the nuggets weaknesses
Realistically no one of the 3 teams has got what Minny would want, apart of KP6 if he recovers, but he won’t be on the table. So I think Denver sounds like a very good option. Maybe Harris & Lyle & a couple of 2nd rounds could be very good for both teams.
I’be already made the Miami case so I’ll play that spot on the roulette wheel.
There will be more than 3 teams in the mix. MIA should be confident in a re-up because of personality fit.
The Cavs attempted to get Kemba to keep LeBron, didn’t happen. Cavs attempted to get Carmelo before OKC, didn’t happen. Lakers attempted to get Melo, didn’t happen. Lakers could have had Durant this past summer. They got JaVelle McGhee instead. Pelicans say Anthony Davis isn’t going anywhere. Klay Thompson says he isn’t either. Kawhi and Jimmy Butler are both saying now that “the Clippers” are their preferred destination. In the last 5 years while the Lakers “haven’t made the playoffs,” how many free agents have they lost? Don’t think Kyrie will be rejoining LeBron either. Some stars don’t like playing 2nd fiddle.
Oh ya! There’s Paul George and Demar DeRozan, the hometown guys too!!!!
Let’s not forget the Lakers wanted Kawhi and Paul George, but wouldn’t include Brandon Ingram. The Pacers and Spurs didn’t want anybody else. The Lakers don’t have the assets to outbid the Sixers, Celtics, or other teams.
Yeah and all the clippers best players left because the clippers are an inept franchise never making it past the second round. You also claim that kawhi and butler want to play together but both apparently want to be “the guy” while getting one could be probable i highly doubt both. Also the narrative about the lakers gets old because they just signed the best player in the league lol. So you are coming across as a hater, or just uneducated. Lakers will be in playoffs and are 2-3 best team in west and will test both the rockets and warriors. Next summer one of kawhi or kevin durant will be on the lakers to go along with lebron and the youth. What can clippers add to nothing to win? No bench, no youth just cash as la’s second team? Lol sure
When did Kawhi say that?
Am I the only one that thinks Butler is VERY overrated? He hasn’t really won anywhere he’s gone except in Chicago for a couple of years when in the first he was not even a starter. He never stays healthy and even when he does his stats are not really mind-blowing. I think he just an average starting wing player, maybe slightly above average. Sure he can score, but so can Lou Williams and I don’t really want to build a team around him either.
hiflew, you’re kidding, right???
22,5,5 and 2 steals a night, four straight All-Star games and two straight All-NBA teams. Do I think he is THE guy you build around, maybe not, but to suggest he’s an average to above average at best player is lunacy.
Lou Will has never been to an All-Star game, or been an All-NBA player. Yes, he has two sixth man of the year awards, but he’s a sixth man for a reason. He scores in bunches, and that’s about it.
He’s good, but he’s not a ‘star’ of any team he goes to. If he goes to the Clips, and somehow they end up with Kawhi next year, poor little Jimmy would be ‘playing second fiddle’ to Kawhi….which is why he doesn’t want to go to the Lakers? ok
He’d rather play with Kawhi than LeBron. LeBron hogs the ball too much.
Why did you change your username
That’s not the issue Swanson, the NBA is full of ballhogs. But Lebron steals the spotlight from all of them. That is the issue.
All Star Games are meaningless. They are just popularity contests and they reward name value far more than skill. Butler is just a compiler on a bad team. Sure he scores a lot, but it’s all meaningless points because they happen in losses most of the time.
He might make a decent 3rd bet on a good team, but if you put him on the Nets with Kawhi or Kyrie and you might have a 40 win team. Put him on a team like Golden State or Houston and he is the 6th man just like Lou Williams.
Because Durant is there? Did someone say Butler is better than Durant?