After Jimmy Butler sat out Wednesday’s game, it’s rumored that the move is part of a strategy to force a trade. The LA Clippers seem to be standing pat.
The ongoing dramatics surrounding Jimmy Butler’s future with the Minnesota Timberwolves continue after reports emerge that No. 23’s decision to sit Wednesday against the Utah Jazz is apart of a “six-week-long process” intending to force a trade, with the LA Clippers, the Houston Rockets, and the Miami Heat having emerged in previous weeks as possible destinations.
For the Clippers’ part, those talks seem to have stalled for the time being, instead looking as though they are content to wait until the offseason, where they will have room for two maximum salary players, without any need to give up valuable assets.
This comes after conflicting reports as to who actually made the decision to rest Butler in the first place. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Wednesday that it was a team decision for the All-Star to sit, but according to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, this is part of a longer play on Butler’s part to leave the team, possibly leading to an “extended absence.”
However, both the team and Butler appear to expect him to play against the Golden State Warriors on Friday, as Butler himself told Rachel Nichols that he would be ready to go for their game in Oracle Arena, pushing back against the idea that this is part of a longer plan, or that it is a move in protest of his team’s unwillingness or inability to make a trade happen.
Earlier, the Miami Heat had “pull the plug” on their efforts to make a deal with Minnesota, to the point that Pat Riley apologized to his players after their names appeared in various reports as possible assets in the trade. It appears that the Timberwolves’ asking price remains too steep for all teams interested in Butler, including the Clippers, who seem to be willing to stand pat thus far after Minnesota’s demands included Tobias Harris.
It would be an understatement to say that there is a great deal of uncertainty within the Timberwolves organization, and one has to wonder how Derrick Rose’s 50 point performance against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday factors into management’s decision making process.
What, exactly, the Clippers are willing to give up for Butler is unknown, but after the Timberwolves reportedly rejected a Houston Rockets offer of four first round draft picks, citing that the offer did not include any assets that would help Minnesota immediately, it’s fairly clear that a major team contributor like Harris, or even Lou Williams, would have to be on the table. So far, Steve Ballmer and company don’t seem all that quick to let such players go.