Minneapolis, MN—Jimmy Butler is displeased with Minnesota so much that he declined an extension to stay with the team and is frustrated with everything and everyone around him.
Things have gotten edgy within the Timberwolves organization recently, and the whole situation stems around their former all-star Jimmy Butler. He was brought to the team to be reunited with former Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau to bring the Timberwolves out of the NBA’s longest playoff drought, that stood at 13 years without reaching the postseason. They barely reached that goal, by beating Denver in the final game of the regular season to secure the eighth and final playoff position in the Western Conference. They were then bounced in the first round by the Houston Rockets, where Butler, Karl Anthony-Towns and company were no match for the league MVP, James Harden.
The downfall began from that moment forward. Jimmy Butler started to lose hope in the development of the younger stars on his team. Butler spoke about the disappointment he had with Andrew Wiggins. “Butler had problems last season with Wiggins, his work ethic and his approach on the defensive end of the floor,” said Scott Deveney of the Sporting News. “Thibodeau has had similar problems with Wiggins in the past, too, and he had some hope that bringing a tough-minded veteran like Butler into the locker room would spur Wiggins to improve. It didn’t.” Clearly, Wiggins has not lived up to the potential he was once supposed to be. It showed with on the defensive side of the floor, as well as Wiggins’ overall game. He dropped in PPG tremendously, was less efficient in shooting, and angered veteran teammates.
The disgruntled setting in Minnesota is not only limited to Jimmy Butler, but also that of Karl Anthony-Towns. The young, athletic big-man has been frustrated with the turmoil within the organization and has asked to be traded from the team. He has not liked coach Thibodeau since he arrived last year and is distraught with his role on the team. This plays back into Butler’s decision making. He understands that another high-level talent in the NBA plays alongside him, and his fed up with the way the organization is headed. This factor, plus not liking the play of his younger teammates has brought Jimmy Buckets to a position where he will not see himself staying with the franchise long-term.
Butler had the offer from the Timberwolves to resign for a 4-year, $110 million extension. That is no small sum of money for a player. The T-wolves were looking to commit to Butler for the long run, but he did not reciprocate the same feelings. This gives the organization a time frame of one year to handle the shooting guard’s current situation, before his contract expires, and he can walk away from the team for nothing in return. It creates a plethora of options for Minnesota to choose from, but it is still sad to watch as this jam-packed team of talent is dismantled from the inside out.
If Butler plays in Minnesota for the coming season, he might uncover more optimistic side that would make him want stay up north long-term, but there are also has been talk between Butler and All-Star Boston Celtic Kyrie Irving to possibly join forces in the 2019 NBA offseason in the Big Apple. They would take their talents to join a young Knicks squad that features another elite and upcoming big man in Kristaps Porzingis. This would be a complete opposite path that the Timberwolves are be headed in, as New York fans could rejoice the fact that they would once again have a competitive roster for years to come.
