While the Heat have long looked like the favorites in the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes, Miami isn’t the only team talking to the Timberwolves. According to Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports, the Wolves and Clippers have had ongoing discussions about a Butler trade.
[RELATED: Wolves tell teams to improve offers for Butler]
The Timberwolves have asked for multiple players and picks in conversations with the Clippers, and would prefer to land Tobias Harris in any Butler deal, sources tell Haynes. Minnesota’s asking price has thus far been deemed too high for the Clippers, who don’t plan to trade Harris, Haynes adds.
Some details in Haynes’ report echo what we’ve heard in previous stories about the Timberwolves’ trade discussions — the Yahoo Sports scribe suggests that the Wolves’ front office “hasn’t fully engaged” the Clippers’ pitches. Other reports on Butler have conveyed similar sentiments on Minnesota’s apparent unwillingness to actively engage potential trade partners.
As Haynes writes, there’s a belief that Tom Thibodeau is still holding out hope that he can convince Butler to report to the team and rescind his trade request, despite Thibodeau’s public insistence that the Wolves are working on making a deal. Minnesota’s head coach and president of basketball operations told reporters today that trade talks are “ongoing,” as Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press relays.
The Clippers were initially named as one of the teams on Butler’s short list of preferred destinations. The team will clear a significant amount of salary from its books at the end of the 2018/19 season, and could have room for a second maximum-salary free agent even it acquires Butler.
In other Butler news, Matt Velazquez of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (Twitter link) hears from a league source that the Bucks haven’t had any “substantive” talks with Minnesota about Butler. No players were put on the table and there’s no ongoing dialogue between the two sides at the moment, Velazquez adds. Milwaukee had been named as a potential dark horse Butler suitor early in the process.
If Thibs wants vets, Harris, Patrick Beverly, and Avery Bradley should be enough to do it. Harris declined his extension with the Clippers. I don’t see him signing with Minnesota next summer.
Bradley can’t be traded yet.
Lucky for Clippers/Wolves
I also read that 26 of the 29 nba teams have at least talked to Minnesota.
Also read that Miami has been holding out Richardson and showcasing Whiteside in preseason. Sacramento has been holding out Shumpert, Koufus, and Zebo.
Also reports say Thibs wants to try to convince Butler to renege on his request. I think it’s time for the owner to step in.
Also….anything else?
Also…
Minnesota wants Simmons from Philadelphia.
Came from Minneapolis Star Tribune about Sacramento and Miami preseason rosters. Jeff Teague and Andrew Wiggins said today that they’d take Butler back. Thibs is saying that too, and Butler isn’t happy about it. I wonder if Butler would have a 2nd hand surgery to drag this out.
If this happens, the Clippers should have a lock on the 11th seed in the West.
Going into training camp, I had them 7th assuming they can stay healthy, which is probably optimistic in that regard
7th in the lottery is what you meant…?
7th as in behind OKC and in front of Denver
I knew what you meant…was just correcting it with reality.
Who do you have, as of now, in the west? I usually look at it a bit before training camp, and then again right before the regular season starts
GSW, HOU, POR, SAS, LAL, DEN, OKC, with the last spot going to NOR or UT. MIN could be in it depending on who they get for Butler.
In my opinion, the Clippers roster has a few injury prone players and no ‘stars’ that can carry the team. Being deep isn’t going to get them into the playoffs.
We have relatively similar lists
I had GS, Houston, Lakers, Utah, Spurs, OKC, Clippers, Denver 1-8
New Orleans, Portland, Memphis, Minnesota, Dallas, Phoenix, and Sacramento rounding out the rest
This is with Butler not playing for Minnesota. If he does, I’d probably have them right behind OKC, and it also obviously remains to be seen what theyd get for him once he’s moved
Rumor is that only NBA teams have spoken to the Timberwolves about Butler.
Clippers are a bit of a surprise… Butler is good and all, but he doesn’t seem like a guy Jerry West would build around.
Gallinari, Gortat, and Sindarius Thornwell for Butler and Dieng?
No
What about Gallinari, Gortat, Sindarius Thornwell, Jawun Evans and 2nd round picks if necessary
Dino ends any deal conversation for any player on any team.
Dino meaning?
I think he meant Danillo
It’s his nickname.
Obviously he is injury prone, but he does fit at the 4 next to KAT, and would provide floor spacing they need. Plus, the Clippers would be taking back Dieng in that scenario
Dino isn’t a 4 – he can’t play defense/rebound. He’s an outside shooter with a bad contact and can’t stay healthy.
Gallinari used to be a decent defender. Maybe he gets some of that back as a 4, instead of guarding wings. In today’s NBA, he can 100% play the 4. I mentioned hes super injury prone, so no argument there, but if he can be relatively healthy, he fits, and I cant assume guaranteed injury, despite his history. I would also say that we’re talking about 1 year of Butler and taking back Diengs contract, so you have to be realistic about potential returns, especially when considering the trade demand
Minnesota will deal with Miami or not at all. They are trying to use other teams to try to get Miami to include Richardson. Minnesota is starting Jeff Teague and Derrick Rose in preseason. That won’t cut it. Thibs needs to do something soon.
Both of those guys are a trillion billion times better then scrub tyler Johnson! And combined yearly they make less then the 20 million over two years he’s making! As you say will deal with heat or nobody at all everyone would take nothing at all over taking scrub tyler Johnson everyone! Heat don’t even want him
Teague makes $19mm.
Oh I thought he was making around 15 million point still remains he’s a whole lot better then tyler Johnson a whole lot! The whole tyler Johnson would really ball in Minnesota is such bs spewed by Riley and heat fans im glad wolves aren’t considering taking him
New Orleans still makes the most sense to me. Butler & Davis seems like a good fit. After that Washington, Butler for Beal.
Why would Washington do that? Beal is signed and produces.
if phyli want to trade buttler , do that for fultz and maybe 1st 2019 pick. not simmons.or phily can give dario saric for butler, and give fultz the pg spot and simmons as pf. i really want see embiid and simmons as duet pf and c
Don’t even think about offering the T Wolves any second round picks in ANY transaction. They simply don’t associate second round picks as having any value
They trade them away. They are never actually prepared to use them to to choose a player.
You mean like how they didnt draft Keita Bates-Diop?