Yesterday we found out via a Woj Bomb that Jimmy Butler wants out of Minnesota (*pretends to be shocked*). It seems like the 1 season he spent with KAT and Wiggins was enough to know he couldn't win with them and while he is in his prime he decided to seek a better situation. I'm sure we all saw this coming but what did surprise us all was his preferred destinations.
It was revealed that the Clippers, Knicks and Nets are the organisations where he would like to end up with the Clippers being a priority. Initially I was confused at his choices as I envisioned him wanting to join a team in a position to compete but when I realised that all 3 teams would have enough cap space for 2 max slots it all made sense.
With these teams knowing they are front runners to sign Jimmy Butler they may hold off and try and sign him as a free agent in the summer, but I feel like these teams can all offer an acceptable trade package to prise him away from the Wolves and give themselves a head start for free agency. I used the ESPN trade machine to find possible trades and each were successful.
Brooklyn Nets receive: Jimmy Butler
Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Allan Crabbe; Rondae Hollis-Jefferson; 2019 2nd round pick via Indiana
New York Knicks receive: Jimmy Butler
Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Courtney Lee; Emmanuel Mudiay; 2020 New York 1st round pick
Los Angeles Clippers receive: Jimmy Butler
Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Danilo Gallinari; Sindarius Thornwell; 2019 LA 2nd round pick
In all honesty none of these trades seem great for the Wolves but they are disadvantaged. These teams know they have a good chance to trade for Butler and I'm sure they aren't willing to trade bigger assets (i.e. D'Angelo Russell/Tobias Harris/Frank Ntilikina) when they could sign him as a free agent in the summer.
It is clear that Jimmy Butler is looking to team up with a fellow upcoming free agent and it is believed Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard are the most likely to join him. Murmurs around the league suggest that New York is Kyrie's preffered destination whereas the Clippers are where Kawhi is believed to want to go.
My gut feeling is that the Clippers trade for him and then re-sign him as a free agent while also signing Kawhi. Having an elite wing player is the main ingredient to win a championship and with the Clippers potentially having 2 it benefits them greatly while weakening some of the field.
With some many players ring chasing and perhaps, winning 'cheap' rings, it is a timely reminder that we have players willing to grind. When LeBron went to LA I would have bet my house that Paul George or Kawhi would join him but I do like the competition spreading out (except you, DeMarcus). I think with LeBron getting 99.99999% of the credit in 2016 hurt Kyrie, and rightly so. We all know LeBron was clearly the best but Kyrie was great too and he deserved more credit. With rings playing a big part on how players are judged I think some want to be the main man on a championship squad or at least have a 1A/1B like Westbrook/Paul George. Butler would be aiming to recreate this with Kyrie or Kawhi.
Media day is on Monday and it could be very awkward if Jimmy Butler is still a member of the Timberwolves for various reasons. The Wolves best hope is either for a dark horse to throw a crazy trade at them (i.e. CJ McCollum) or for him to change his mind and stay (no chance lol).
Before last season, the Wolves were on the longest playoff drought in the NBA and Butler imminent departure will no doubt start the drought again. The value he added to the Wolves was that of an expected MVP. When he was healthy they were playing like a 3rd seed but due to his injuries they dropped to 8th and only just made the playoffs. I have no doubt that a healthy Jimmy Butler would have led them to a higher seed which in turn guarantees an easier match up with more chance of progressing to the 2nd round. A playoff series win would have maybe papered over the cracks for this season and KAT and Wiggins would have had another chance to learn from Butler but we do not deal in hypotheticals. With Jimmy being the first domino to fall I can see Thibs leaving and KAT not extending. This would send the Wolves back into the abyss where they lived for previous 12 seasons with conference finishes of 14th, 13th, 13th, 12th, 15th, 15th, 12th, 12th, 10th, 15th, 13th, 13th.
This is also a reminder that it was way too early to say the Chicago Bulls lost the trade back when they trade Jimmy Butler for Zach Lavine, Kris Dunn and the pick that turned out to be Lauri Markkanen.
