Timberwolves Owner Glen Taylor Still Believes It Is In ‘Our Interest’ To Trade Jimmy Butler


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Barring something completely unforeseen, Jimmy Butler is going to suit up for the Minnesota Timberwolves at the start of the 2018-19 NBA season. This will almost certainly happen despite a highly-publicized saga that involved him requesting a trade, making it clear he sees no future for himself with the team before straight up requesting a trade, and what might go down as the weirdest practice in Timberwolves history.

At the end of the day, the simple fact that Butler has no plans of sticking around past this season makes it imperative that the Wolves get something back for him. They likely are not winning a championship this year even if he plays all season, so there’s little-to-no incentive to keep him around.

Owner Glen Taylor understands this, and on Tuesday night, he made it clear to Sid Hartman of The Star Tribune that the team is working to figure out how to “get a player or two” back for Butler.

“Yes I think that he’s made it very clear that he would not re-sign with us at the end of the year and therefore it is in our interest to get a trade so that we can get a player or two to replace him that helps our team,” Taylor said.

Taylor made it clear that general manager Scott Layden is working on finding a deal for Butler, and when asked if there’s a chance that Butler could stick around, Taylor told Hartman, “That is not part of the plan, but as you know things can change. But that is not what we have agreed to.”

It seems improbable that Butler will be in Minnesota by the time the trade deadline rolls around. Then again, it seemed improbable that he’d still be on the team now, so I suppose anything is possible.

(Via The Star Tribune)

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