The Minnesota Timberwolves had extensive trade discussions centered around small forward Jimmy Butler with the New Orleans Pelicans, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The Pelicans don't really have any assets that were intriguing to the Timberwolves. New Orleans wasn't willing to part ways with point guard Jrue Holiday or any draft picks to acquire Jimmy Butler.
Minnesota desperately tried to cobble together trade offers in the past week, including extensive discussions with New Orleans, league sources said. The Pelicans are limited on tradable assets, but desperate to find star power to keep Anthony Davis for the long run. The Pelicans wouldn't include point guard Jrue Holiday in its offer, nor multiple draft picks, league sources said.
The Timberwolves finally put an end to the Jimmy Butler trade drama by trading the four-time All-Star to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for forwards Robert Covington and Dario Saric, guard Jerryd Bayless and a 2022 second-round pick.
A team with Anthony Davis, Jimmy Butler and Jrue Holiday would have been lethal. All three All-Stars are elite defenders and can score at will. Unfortunately for the Pelicans, they weren't able to offer a trade package that the Timberwolves were looking for.
In 10 games this season, Butler is averaging 21.3 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting 47.1 percent from the field, 37.8 percent from beyond the arc and 78.7 percent from the free-throw line. The 29-year-old swingman can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019 if he declines his 2019-20 player-option.
Jimmy Butler is expected to sign a long-term deal with the Sixers in the offseason.
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