Tom Thibodeau Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Jimmy Butler Trade Talks ‘Mostly Dormant’ For Now

October 18th, 2018 at 11:07am CST by Luke Adams

With the 2018/19 season officially underway, the Jimmy Butler trade talks that were so active in the weeks leading up to opening night are “mostly dormant” for the time being, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.

The Heat were the most aggressive suitor for Butler during the preseason, having nearly reached a deal with the Timberwolves that would have sent Josh Richardson, Dion Waiters, and a protected first-round pick to Minnesota for the All-NBA swingman. However, according to Charania, Heat president Pat Riley informed his players a few days before the regular season began that the club planned to stick with its current roster for now.

While the Timberwolves aren’t close to any deals involving Butler at the moment, trade discussions figure to pick back up at some point. Team owner Glen Taylor confirmed earlier this week that he and the 29-year-old reached an understanding — Butler will play hard for the Wolves while the team continues to seek out a trade package for him.

If and when those trade talks resume, Miami still looks like a prime landing spot. Marc Stein of The New York Times also noted earlier this week that “rumbles persist” about the Rockets maintaining serious interest in trading for Butler, despite the Wolves’ aversion to helping Houston build another super-team in the Western Conference.

Although Butler isn’t necessarily happy to still be in Minnesota, he has been making an effort to display leadership and help out his teammates by easing the pressure from head coach Tom Thibodeau, according to Charania.

“Just hoop, I told them, and I think that I can get Thibs to relax a little bit,” Butler said. “He’s never going to say anything about offense as long as you go down there and play with effort on the defensive end and get a couple stops. It’s whenever you’re not getting stops when he starts yelling. I think Thibs has calmed down a lot, and guys are playing with effort.”

Wolves Notes: Butler, Thibodeau, Towns, Wiggins

October 17th, 2018 at 5:35pm CST by Arthur Hill

Timberwolves coach/executive Tom Thibodeau raised the asking price for Jimmy Butler in trade talks after last week’s infamous practice incident, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said on today’s edition of “The Jump.” The ESPN scribe adds that Thibodeau feels like he came away victorious in his struggle with owner Glen Taylor because Butler remains on the team and will play in tonight’s opener.

“This is exactly what Tom Thibodeau wanted, which was him in the lineup on opening night,” Wojnarowski said. “The day that Jimmy came back and practiced, Thibs won. He waited out his owner, he waited out Jimmy, got him back on the court.”

He adds that Minnesota still hasn’t gotten serious about trading Butler and continues to ask for returns that it knows teams won’t agree to. Woj doesn’t expect the situation to change until closer to the trade deadline in February, when he says some teams that have been involved in trade talks will “circle back” to see if the Wolves have become more realistic.

There’s more today out of Minnesota:

Thibodeau isn’t concerned about team chemistry despite the surreal preseason and lingering rumors from last year of locker room disharmony, relays Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. Thibodeau contends the bond that players have is reflected by their performance on the court. “That’s how you measure chemistry. When guys are playing together, how do they play with each other? Do they play effectively?” he said. “That’s what was so encouraging to me about what we did last year. The starters were a very dynamic group. To be third in offense and seventh in defense and the record we had when everyone was healthy (37-22) was terrific. And we want to build off of that.”
Karl-Anthony Towns has the talent to be considered the second-best player in franchise history after Kevin Garnett, but he may not reach his potential until Butler is gone, suggests Jim Souhan of The Star-Tribune. Towns has been targeted frequently by Butler because of a passive attitude, and Souhan believes the best outcome is a trade that leaves Towns as the team’s unquestioned on-court leader.
A Star-Tribune panel debates whether Andrew Wiggins can blossom into the player the Wolves hoped when they gave him a five-year, $148MM extension. That new deal kicks in this year, and there are concerns that he might never be more than an inefficient scorer.

Wolves Notes: Garnett, Taylor, Thibodeau

October 16th, 2018 at 10:55pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Kevin Garnett is not a shy person when it comes to speaking his mind and he offered his thoughts on the Jimmy Butler saga during an appearance on TNT’s pregame show.

“I totally understand [Butler]. I totally get it. And he’s dealing with [owner Glen Taylor], who doesn’t know [expletive] about basketball,” Garnett said (h/t AJ Neuharth-Keusch of USA Today). “He knows how to make money, but he don’t know anything about basketball. I wouldn’t say that he’s the best basketball mind.”

Taylor said he reached an understanding with Butler: the Wolves’ wing will play to his full ability while the team continues to search for a trade offer. “I think [Butler has] made it very clear that he would not re-sign with us at the end of the year and therefore it is in our interest to get a trade so that we can get a player or two to replace him that helps our team,” Taylor said.

Here’s more from Minnesota:

Taylor gave a vote of confidence to Tom Thibodeau, telling Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune that the executive/head coach is not on the hot seat. “No, no, the only thing now is that we are starting to play games and I am asking him to concentrate on coaching,” Taylor said. “GM Scott Layden will help to see if any trades are available.”
Taylor told Hartman (same piece) that he is alright with how Thibodeau handed the whole Butler situation so far. “Well, I’m OK with it,” Taylor said. “Initially, when Butler told [Thibodeau] he wanted to leave, you know Tom did everything he could to try to keep Jimmy here and I understand that. They have a close relationship. Thibs brought him here so that he would stay here. But eventually I think that in listening to Jimmy, Thibs and I are lined up on this. We need to be looking at a trade.”
Taylor has owned the Timberwolves since 1994 and the messy situation with Butler has not made him think about selling the team, Hartman relays. “No, no, we will get through this,” he said. “The changes we have to make, we will get through this. I’ll just keep working and doing the best I can on it to keep our team very competitive.”

Latest On Jimmy Butler

October 10th, 2018 at 7:55pm CST by Arthur Hill

Jimmy Butler gave a first-hand account of his return to Timberwolves practice and offered his perspective on the standoff with team management in an interview with Rachel Nichols of ESPN’s “The Jump.” (Twitter link)

Butler describes an exchange with Karl-Anthony Towns during today’s drills. Towns allegedly quipped, “Anybody can get this work,” when they were matched up, and Butler responded with the challenge, “Do it to me” and “Every time I get switched out onto you, you pass it.”

Later in the interview, in an exchange tweeted by Jerry Zgoda of The Star Tribune, Nichols asked Butler if his presence at practice is a sign that the situation is improving. “I think people think that,” he responded. “I would think that, too. It’s not. It’s not fixed.” He suggested it “could be” fixable, but added, “Do I think so? No. You’ve got to be honest.”

Butler also defended his actions at today’s session, saying, “A lot of it is true. But you got to think I haven’t played basketball in so long and I’m so passionate. I love the game… All my emotion came out at once. Was it the right way to do it? No, but I can’t control it when I’m out there competing.” (Twitter link).

There’s more news to pass along on the Butler situation:

Butler sent a message to teammates and the front office by joining forces with third-string players and defeating the starters in today’s scrimmage, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski (Twitter link). Woj adds that some of the Wolves were “energized” by Butler’s performance and that he followed it by marching out of the gym as though he was doing a “mic drop.”
Butler spent much of the practice on a profanity-laced tirade, mostly aimed at Towns, Andrew Wiggins, coach/executive Tom Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden, reports Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. Butler taunted Towns and Wiggins by yelling, “They soft” as he faced them in the scrimmage. Neither player confronted him for his actions. Haynes adds that Butler has warned team officials in the past that he might find ways to express his displeasure if his trade request isn’t met.
The organization has reacted poorly ever since Butler made his trade demand three weeks ago, argues Britt Robson of The Athletic in a roundtable discussion. Robson contends the best response would have been to trade Butler quickly and start rebuilding the team around Towns and Wiggins. Instead, Thibodeau and Layden publicly expressed a desire to work things out with Butler and dragged their feet on numerous trade offers. Robson also blasts Towns and Wiggins for not playing with more desire in an effort to prove that Butler is wrong about them.

Latest On Jimmy Butler

October 9th, 2018 at 9:13pm CST by ChrisCrouse

The Timberwolves appear as if they are preparing to start the season with Jimmy Butler on the roster despite the fact that the four-time All-Star has reiterated his desire to be traded. Butler maintains his stance even after the organization made numerous attempts to convince him to stay.

Heavy negotiations between the Heat and Wolves broke down yet again this week with Miami’s latest offer not satisfying Minnesota’s front office. The Heat’s proposal was a package headlined by Josh Richardson and a protected first-round pick, as Marc Stein of The New York Times reports in his weekly newsletter. Stein doesn’t provide full details on that offer, but based on Miami’s reported interest in moving Dion Waiters, it wouldn’t be surprising if he was also included for salary-matching purposes.

Here’s more on Butler and the Wolves:

Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden have been known as one of the most difficult front offices to negotiate with over the past two years, agents and executives within the league tell Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic. That has continued to be the case with teams attempting to nab Butler. Rivals have been willing to undergo “unconventional” negotiations because of Butler’s talent, Krawczynski explains, adding that if Butler weren’t a franchise talent, rival organizations would simply hang up the phone and not deal with the Thibs/Layden duo.
According to Krawczynski, the Timberwolves are still talking with teams about a potential deal and talks with Miami are expected to resume this week.
Should Minnesota hold onto Butler through opening night, he is unlikely to sit out and forfeit game checks. Butler was in Los Angeles when the Wolves faced the Clippers last week and he dined with several current teammates. While some players have said Butler would be welcomed back on the team, Krawczynski notes that it would no doubt add to the club’s chemistry issues.
Thibodeau would welcome Butler back unconditionally should he warm up to the idea of playing out the season in Minnesota even though he could leave for nothing next summer, Stein reports in the aforementioned newsletter. Thibs also isn’t concerned about how uncomfortable the situation might get between Butler and the team’s young stars (Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins). Butler’s “chilly” relationships with Towns and Wiggins are said to be high on the list of reasons why Butler wants out, per Stein.
The Heat, Clippers, Sixers, Nets have all reportedly had negotiations with the Timberwolves for Butler. Stein contends that Miami’s package headlined by Richardson and a protected first-rounder is likely the best-case scenario for Minnesota, given the circumstances. Stein believes that deal allows the Wolves to recoup a good portion of the value they gave up (Kris Dunn, Zach LaVine, and the draft pick that became Lauri Markkanen) to bring aboard Butler in the first place.

Wolves Notes: Butler, Thibodeau, Wiggins

September 30th, 2018 at 4:21pm CST by JD Shaw

The Timberwolves have yet to move All-Star shooting guard Jimmy Butler in a trade, keeping a distraction on their roster one game into the preseason and almost a week after the team’s media day. Butler requested a trade in early September after spending just one season with the team, with head coach Tom Thibodeau now focused on making sure his players don’t get distracted.

“That’s the NBA. That’s part of everyone’s job,” Thibodeau said, according to Chris Hine of the Star Tribune. “Don’t allow yourself to be distracted. You have to be focused on what your job is. My job is to do what’s best for the Timberwolves and that’s what we’re going to do.”

Minnesota’s asking price for Butler is said to be steep, with the team reportedly seeking quality veterans, future assets and cap relief. The idea of losing Butler, a longtime teammate of Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, and other members of the Timberwolves, could make for a period of adjustment in the coming weeks.

“That’s part of being a pro,” Thibodeau said. “So in this league there could be distractions every day if you allow it, so it’s important to understand how to approach your job and I think we have a good mix of veterans who have been through it and they understand how important training camp is and getting ready for the season.”

There’s more from the Timberwolves:

Butler’s trade request comes at a time when the team still has unfinished work, Steve Aschburner of NBA.com writes.
The Timberwolves will need more production from Andrew Wiggins this season in order to be successful, Chip Scoggins of the Star Tribune details.
Thibodeau will attempt to move forward after a forgettable offseason, writes ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “He’s been doing a good job of maintaining and doing the right things for the guys that are here,” Gibson said of the Wolves’ head coach and president of basketball operations.

Jimmy Butler Rumors: Taylor, Thibodeau, Mavs

September 25th, 2018 at 4:00pm CST by Luke Adams

As ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported earlier today, there has been some confusion among potential Jimmy Butler suitors who have spoken to the Timberwolves, since it’s not clear if Minnesota’s ownership and management groups are on the same page when it comes to a Butler trade. Over at The Athletic, Jon Krawczynski’s latest report on the Butler situation touches many of the same bases that Wojnarowski’s did, with a few new details included.

After Tom Thibodeau met with Butler in the hopes of convincing him to report to the Timberwolves, Butler sought out owner Glen Taylor to receive assurances that the club was actually making “good faith efforts” to trade him, sources tell Krawczynski.

According to Krawczynski’s report, Butler’s camp has conveyed his dissatisfaction with the situation in Minnesota throughout the offseason — his representatives talked to Thibodeau in July about the 29-year-old’s unwillingness to re-sign long-term with the franchise, and Butler conveyed that same message to the head coach in August when Thibodeau visited him in California. However, there’s no indication that Butler requested a trade until last week.

Here are a few more of the latest items on Butler:

Asked again today about Butler, Thibodeau sounded more open than ever to the idea of moving on from his All-NBA swingman. “We’re going to honor his request,” Thibodeau said, per Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (video link). “But we’re not going to do a bad deal. … We’re trying to make the best deal for the Timberwolves. … That’s what my job is. That’s what [GM] Scott [Layden]‘s job is. Obviously, a move of this magnitude, Glen’s involved in it too.”
Despite Thibodeau saying the right things about Butler publicly, Chris Hine of The Star Tribune hears from a source that the Timberwolves‘ head coach and president of basketball operations remains reluctant to make a deal.
It’s probably safe to cross the Mavericks off the list of possible suitors for Butler, according to Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News, who hears from a high-ranking Mavs official that “he’s not coming here.”
Thibodeau took a risk on Butler and got burned, writes Chip Scoggins of The Star Tribune, noting that the “clock is ticking” on Thibs to prove that he can make Plan B work for the Timberwolves.

Thibodeau Tries To Convince Butler To Report

September 24th, 2018 at 10:34pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Timberwolves coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau met with Jimmy Butler on Monday, attempting to coax the disenchanted swingman to rejoin the team during the preseason, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN tweets.

It’s another hint that Thibodeau hopes to patch things up with Butler and keep his core group intact rather than trade him. Butler did not report to training camp as he awaits a trade.

Thibodeau indicated during the team’s media day on Monday that he’s willing to deal Butler, who can become a free agent next summer, but he’s not going to give away an All-Star talent.

“We’re not going to make a bad deal,” Thibodeau said. “If it’s a good deal, we’re interested.”

Teams have been lining up with offers for Butler and the process was accelerated when news broke that owner Glen Taylor wants to move Butler as soon as possible.

Jimmy Butler Rumors: Thibs, Kings, Nets, Pistons

September 24th, 2018 at 4:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Although Jimmy Butler didn’t participate in the Timberwolves‘ Media Day on Monday, he was in Minnesota and took his physical, tweets Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press. As Reynolds relays, head coach Tom Thibodeau – who said that Butler could be about a week from being ready to play – also sounded like a man who was open to the idea of dealing his All-Star wing.

“We’re not going to make a bad deal,” Thibodeau said. “If it’s a good deal, we’re interested.”

According to Thibodeau, last week’s trade request from Butler was the first time the 29-year-old had taken such a stance, forcing the situation to come to “a head” (Twitter link via Chris Hine of The Star Tribune). Thibodeau also acknowledged that there was risk involved in acquiring Butler last year, but said he thought the Timberwolves would have a good chance to lock him up long-term. “It didn’t work out,” Thibodeau said today (Twitter link via Jerry Zgoda).

After making it clear that the Wolves will consider potential trades with teams besides the ones on Butler’s wish list, Thibodeau added that if Minnesota can’t make a deal in the next week and Butler is done with his conditioning and rehab work, the All-NBA swingman will be expected to rejoin the team (Twitter links via Michael Rand and Kent Youngblood of The Star Tribune).

Here’s more on Butler:

Thibodeau said today that he isn’t worried about his own authority – or job – as a result of the Butler situation. “Not at all. I never worry about that,” Thibodeau said (Twitter link via Michael Rand). “[The] important thing is to understand … what your job is. Your job is to acquire best talent to help your team win.”
Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News (Twitter link) believes a trade will happen “sooner rather than later,” though probably not today.
League sources maintain to David Aldridge of NBA.com that the Timberwolves will hold out for at least one first-round pick as part of a Butler trade, and will also want some “young vets” who can grow with the club’s remaining core.
The Kings are on the list of teams interested in discussing a possible Butler trade with the Timberwolves, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
As of late Sunday night, the Nets weren’t negotiating with the Timberwolves on a Butler deal, according to Newsday’s Greg Logan, who believes Brooklyn isn’t eager to sacrifice a ton of assets for the Timberwolves wing (Twitter links).
Don’t count on the Pistons swinging a blockbuster trade for Butler, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News.

Wolves Owner Wants Jimmy Butler Deal Done Soon

September 23rd, 2018 at 9:23am CST by Arthur Hill

Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor has taken control of the Jimmy Butler trade talks and wants to get a deal completed as soon as possible, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Tom Thibodeau, who serves as president of basketball operations as well as coach, had been objecting to a deal, hoping to hold onto the veteran forward for another season. However, Taylor wants the process to end before training camp starts Tuesday and has mandated that a deal get done quickly.

Wojnarowski cautions that no team has entered serious discussion with the Wolves yet, but he identifies the Nets, Pistons, Rockets, Clippers, Heat, Sixers and Trail Blazers as franchises that have shown interest.

Taylor plans to review the offers over the next two days, then present the best ones to Butler and his agent, Bernie Lee, to see which teams Butler would be willing to sign a five-year extension with. That information will be used to help finalize a deal, although Wojnarowski adds that some teams would be willing to trade for Butler with no guarantee of an extension .

GM Scott Layden may have jeopardized his job by refusing to talk to other teams about a Butler deal, according to Wojnarowski. Taylor has demanded that Layden start aggressively pursuing a trade, even to the point of contacting rival GMs. Taylor has been considering changes in the front office for months and may re-evaluate Layden’s role once the Butler deal is done.