NBA All-star Jimmy Butler has returned to Minnesota and, in a meeting with president and coach Tom Thibodeau, reiterated his desire to traded, league sources told The Athletic.
Via the Athletic:
Butler has not practiced with the team since training camp opened on Sept. 25, just over a week after he first met with Thibodeau to personally deliver his trade request. The Wolves have had conversations with a number of teams, most notably the the Miami Heat, but have yet to close a deal.
Butler worked out in Minneapolis on Monday and talked with Thibodeau, making clear that nothing has changed in the last three weeks, sources said. It remains unclear when, or if, he will join the team in practice as they prepare for the season opener at San Antonio on Oct. 17.
Several teams around the league have privately questioned whether the Wolves are truly interested in finding a trade for a player that was the central figure in Thibodeau’s plans to rebuild the team. Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden…
Jimmy Butler has returned to Minnesota and reiterated his trade desire in a meeting with president/coach Tom Thibodeau on Monday, league sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) October 9, 2018
Thibodeau has once again tried to convince Butler to change his mind and stay with the team, but it doesn’t appear he’s changed his mind. Time to move on Thibs.
Thibs really needs to stop sabotaging the trade offers.
Tom Thibodeau Sabotaging Potential Jimmy Butler Trades #NBA #Pistons #NBATwitter #HeatNation #Heat #Timberwolves #timberbullshttps://t.co/hU9WqtVWuK
— SportsGossip.com (@sportsgossip) October 6, 2018