Jimmy Butler wants out of Minnesota

Mecca said:

@Win TWINS!!! ......

You are correct on his timing...




But Minnesota’s extension offer wasn’t technically the largest possible this summer. Theoretically, the Timberwolves could have cleared cap space to renegotiate his salary upward then offered a richer extension based on his new salary.

And apparently that’s what Butler wanted – and didn’t get – before requesting a trade.

Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic:

Butler was hoping for a renegotiation and extension of his contract this summer, one that would have raised his salary for 2018-19 to $30 million and added another four years and $145 million on to that.

The Timberwolves could have trimmed their roster to only their starters – Butler, Andrew Wiggins, Jeff Teague, Taj Gibson and Karl-Anthony Towns. That would have meant using sweeteners to unload Gorgui Dieng‘s negative value contract, dumping recent first-round picks Justin Patton, Tyus Jones and Josh Okogie and not using the mid-level exception on Anthony Tolliver. Only players who signed for the minimum could have still wound up on the roster.

Minnesota still wouldn’t have had enough cap space to renegotiate Butler’s salary up to $30 million.

Perhaps, Butler wanted the Timberwolves to take more drastic measures like trading Wiggins for little to no returning salary. But they clearly weren’t going to do that, and they’d long gone down the opposite road of adding salary. They weren’t coming close to clearing the $10 million of cap space necessary to raise Butler’s salary that much.


Report: Jimmy Butler wanted Timberwolves to add four years, $155 million to his contract this summer

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trojanfan12 said:

Yeah, I thought it was Randle or Clarkson too. Either way, it was considered the best offer at the time and was definitely fair.

It turned out well for the Pacers because Oladipo looks like he could be a star and Sabonis is solid.

I'd bet if the Pacers asked for Randle and Clarkson, plus the picks, they could have gotten that. But they took the OKC offer instead.

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shopson67 said:

Funny to see the shift for players away from joining a star-laden team to going to a virtual empty roster with someone else to form their own team. In one way, it's the Durant backlash effect. In another, it's 3 teams in the 2 biggest markets with cap space to spend (un)wisely.

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Mecca said:

What's up M3at?

You putting Knox in a Jimmy Butler trade?

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Win TWINS!!! said:

If he shows up, and I'm Thibs.... I play him 38-42 minutes a game until he collapses....

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shopson67 said:

Funny to see the shift for players away from joining a star-laden team to going to a virtual empty roster with someone else to form their own team. In one way, it's the Durant backlash effect. In another, it's 3 teams in the 2 biggest markets with cap space to spend (un)wisely.

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trojanfan12 said:

Yeah, I thought it was Randle or Clarkson too. Either way, it was considered the best offer at the time and was definitely fair.

It turned out well for the Pacers because Oladipo looks like he could be a star and Sabonis is solid.

I'd bet if the Pacers asked for Randle and Clarkson, plus the picks, they could have gotten that. But they took the OKC offer instead.

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Mecca said:

Lmao....

Is this threat meant to be a deterrent?


According to multiple league sources, coach Tom Thibodeau has no intention of letting Butler go for young, rebuilding-type pieces. Thibodeau, hotly pursued as a coaching free agent after leaving Chicago in 2015, went to Minnesota because he thought the team would be ready to contend quickly. Butler, acquired last summer in a trade with the Bulls, had become part of that thought process. Thibodeau has zero interest in taking a step back with Minnesota, even, according to sources, if it means he ultimately parts ways with the team.”


Report: Tom Thibodeau would sooner leave Timberwolves than rebuild

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If that’s moving the timeline back to one where Towns and potentially even Andrew Wiggins are in their primes, Thibodeau may decide to walk. It would be an entirely new look for Minnesota, but it might actually be what’s in their best interest.

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Rockinkuwait said:

I'd take Oladipo over Clarkson or Randle myself. He was doing what Clarkson was, but on a competitive team.

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trojanfan12 said:

Easy to say now. At the time of the offer, no one knew Oladipo would be as good as he turned out to be. At the time, the Lakers offer was considered the best offer and was very fair.

I know it doesn't fit the "Lakers thought they had him no matter what, so they offered a bad deal" or "the Lakers didn't make an offer" narrative that folks want to go with.

But the fact is, the Lakers made a fair offer and it was no worse than any of the other offers. Whether it was to spite PG, as some have suggested, or for some other reason, doesn't really matter. Indy decided they liked the OKC offer better and it worked out well for them.

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Rockinkuwait said:

Fair? for what? late picks and your choice of guy they are trying to unload?

Compared to who? I mean the Cavs got more than that for cap space (Isiah Thomas got them Clarkson and Nance JR who was doubling expected output of that 27th pick)

You seriously are trying to say Isiah Thomas for a year and cap space is more valuable than PG13?

Come on man.

Only reason he was low was he said he wanted LA. And that's why LA didn't offer what a player of his caliber goes for.

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trojanfan12 said:

Considering that the Lakers landed Lebron and preserved cap space to potentially add another player who is better than PG. Yes, I'd say that's more valuable.

The offer was Randle or Clarkson and the picks.

And yes, whether you agree or not, it was considered the best offer at the time and was fair.

Again, no one saw Oladipo being as good as he turned out to be. Not sure what your issue is, but those were the facts at the time.

No one offered what a player of his caliber goes for because it was believed he wanted LA.

What a player of his caliber goes for doesn't matter if no one is offering that and no one was.

I get that you want to stick to your narrative, but based on the circumstances at the time, there was nothing wrong with the Lakers offer.

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Rockinkuwait said:

Yes hindsight what they did helped them more. I completely agree, just like hindsight, the Pacers got a LOT more than what LA offered them. And Pacers took the best deal for them. Oladipo actually played D and helped a good team, and Sabonis clearly worth more than 27/28 pick.

But the only reason that offer was near the top, was he made it clear he wouldn't sign beyond one year with anyone but LA. That doesn't make it anywhere close to what players of that caliber get when willing to sign with a team is all I am saying.

Not saying there was anything wrong with the offer. They didn't want him enough to give up anything of value for him is all I am saying.

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