According to a report from the New York Times’ Marc Stein, Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler now prefers a trade to the Miami Heat instead of the LA Clippers.
The Jimmy Butler saga is continuing, though it may not be heading in the direction that we would prefer.
According to a report made this morning by the New York Times’ Marc Stein, Butler and his agent, Bernie Lee, have informed Minnesota’s front office that Butler’s preferred trade destination has changed to the Miami Heat, instead of the LA Clippers.
Butler’s initial trade destinations were the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and the LA Clippers, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. It was rumored that the initial list could have as many as six teams included, and the Miami Heat were one of them.
Miami has also been “as aggressive as any other team” in their pursuit of Butler, according to Wojnarowski. However, it seems that roughly 2/3 of the teams in the NBA have been pursuing Butler, so it’s hard to tell exactly which teams have been equally as aggressive as the Heat.
There have been no reports in regards to offers the Clippers have made for Butler, if any at all. The most we’ve seen is a tweet from ESPN LA’s Arash Markazi, who believes Jerry West has a plan to land both Butler and Kawhi Leonard.
While this report may seem threatening, it’s important to keep in mind that just because Butler prefers a trade to the Heat, does not mean he will be dealt there. Considering Tom Thibodeau has made his intentions to keep Butler abundantly clear, the odds he grants Butler’s wish are slim.
However, the situation obviously isn’t entirely within Thibodeau’s control — the Wolves ownership has been equally involved in creating a potential deal, and they prefer to ship Butler out as soon as possible.
It’s safe to assume that the LA Clippers are still involved in trade conversations, despite this report. We can also suggest that Los Angeles is still among Butler’s top choices, unless something turned him away from the organization.
Regardless, it’s reasonable to expect a trade to come within the week. As the NBA preseason approaches, it would be best for all parties involved in a potential deal to get this done sooner rather than later.