The Jimmy Butler saga has now reached the seven week mark, and there's a collective belief around the league that Minnesota Timberwolves president/head coach Tom Thibodeau still isn't ready to seriously negotiate a trade yet, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Despite being told by Butler directly that he wants out of Minnesota and has no intention of re-signing with the club during the summer of 2019, Thibodeau remains reluctant to trade his best player because he knows he can't win in the rugged Western Conference without the four-time All-Star. Thibodeau has never been fond of rebuilding and wants to coach a competitive team.

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Jimmy Butler and his representatives have grown frustrated by how the Timberwolves have handled his trade request and are skeptical of whether the franchise is truly trying to find a deal. Butler has been pushing owner Glen Taylor to speed up the process, but it appears the Timberwolves' asking price for the 29-year-old is too steep for teams interested in acquiring Butler.

In six games this season, Jimmy Butler is averaging 22.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 50.5 percent from the field, 48.0 percent from beyond the arc and 83.8 percent from the free-throw line. The Timberwolves enter Wednesday with a record of 3-4. Butler will not play against the Utah Jazz for “precautionary rest.”