LeBron James' arrival to the Los Angeles Lakers has made the franchise less appealing of a spot for Jimmy Butler, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Butler has requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, and his three preferred destinations are the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks.
At one point, Butler reportedly had interest in joining the Lakers, but the four-time All-Star wants to be the central figure on a team which is in a big market, and that's not possible with the Lakers now that James is on the roster.
Butler averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game during his first season with Minnesota. The rugged defender shot 47.4 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from 3, and he helped the Timberwolves reach the postseason for the first time in 14 years. Minnesota lost to the Houston Rockets in the first round of the 2018 playoffs in five games.
During the regular season, Butler's relationship with Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns soured, and now Butler is uncertain about playing with the two youngsters moving forward.
Everyone is familiar with Butler’s story by now. The Chicago Bulls took a chance on Butler in the 2011 NBA Draft with the 30th pick, and they watched the Texas native grow from a defensive specialist into one of the best two-way players in the league in a short amount of time.
The 2014-15 season was Butler’s breakout year. The 6-foot-7 swingman averaged 20.0 points per game and won the NBA’s Most Improved Player award. It was after that stellar campaign, however, when Butler started to change a bit. Butler was no longer that “humble kid from Tomball, Texas,” and he began to carry himself in a different manner.
There is no doubt Butler’s ego has risen since he entered the league. He’s a max contract guy and arguably a top-15 player. He has earned everything he has gotten through hard work and dedication, and naturally that is going to make him feel more entitled.
In a interview with Vice Sports last summer, Jimmy Butler said he's “confrontational” and feeds off confrontation. That's a quote that may rub some players in the NBA the wrong way.
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