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Despite Jimmy Butler‘s nonchalant reaction to being traded (finding out while playing spades on a plane), the All-Star swingman admits he was blindsided by it after leaving in a positive note during the exit meetings with the Chicago Bulls‘ brawn.
“I thought I was going to be there,” Butler told Bill Simmons on his podcast. “When I left the (exit meetings), I did think I was going to be there.”
The 27-year-old forward is aware of the frenzy that comes with pulling off trades, and took into consideration that the Bulls might have been looking for the best incoming offer, rather than fixating on a team package.
“I don't know if they really knew what they wanted to do until something was presented to them that was like ‘OK yeah, we gotta take this, we gotta go that way,'” he said. “I may not have known it was going to happen that day, but I mean, let's be honest. I knew I wasn't going to be there.”
Butler asked New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony for advice, not only for his experience of having been traded earlier in his career, but because no one in the NBA has faced heavier and more constant trade rumors than he has in the past couple of seasons.
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The Bulls looked like a possible Eastern Conference contender during the start of the season, but ultimately started to deteriorate with the lack of shooting and several lineup changes by head coach Fred Hoiberg, a move which Butler claims he had nothing to do with, contrary to earlier season reports.
“If I could tell you why or how, I would, but I don't control the substitutions,” Butler said. “I don't control anybody's playing time… My opinion is heard, but at the same time it probably wasn't.”
The Marquette standout will now re-unite with former head coach Tom Thibodeau and teammate Taj Gibson in Minnesota, joining a cast of young and exciting talent that has struggled to put it together thus far.
“We're gonna be alright,” Butler said. “We got some really good players. We got a phenomenal coach who knows how to win. We're gonna be alright. Minnesota, the T-Wolves, we're going to be just fine.”
