The Minnesota Timberwolves are telling other teams that intend to keep Jimmy Butler despite the forward demanding a trade earlier this week, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The news comes one day after Sean Deveney of the Sporting News reported team president Tom Thibodeau “has no intention of letting Butler go for young, rebuilding-type pieces.”
But on Friday, Wojnarowski reported team owner Glen Taylor would be “heavily involved in the decision-making process” and “Taylor could have a different view on how to handle the trade request.”
On Wednesday, Wojnarowski reported that Butler, who is scheduled to be a free agent next summer, would like to be traded to the L.A. Clippers, New York Knicks or Brooklyn Nets. But Butler doesn’t have a no-trade clause, which means Minnesota doesn’t need to trade him to one of those teams.
Still, the Timberwolves could see a trade now as a better option than losing Butler for nothing to free agency in the summer.
Butler, 29, was acquired by Minnesota from the Chicago Bulls in June 2017 and last season averaged 22.2 points in 59 games.
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