Minnesota Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler is expected to rejoin the team Friday after resting Wednesday against the Utah Jazz, hoping to suit up for a road game against the Golden State Warriors, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. Teams interested in trading for the four-time All-Star say the price for Butler remains steep.
A prior report suggested that Butler's decision to sit out against the Jazz for reasons of “general soreness” was part of a plan to remain out for an extended period of time until the team could find a trade, but perhaps president/head coach Tom Thibodeau was being transparent when listing the reasons for his absence.
Butler has played 37 minutes in three of his last four outings and is coming off leading the Timberwolves to a 124-120 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday. He poured in a game-high 32 points on a red-hot 6-of-7 shooting from beyond the arc to earn the hard-fought win. The 6-foot-7 wing also leads the league in steals with 3.0 per game and has been a major factor in the Wolves' defensive stops down the stretch, despite a 3-4 start to the season.
Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor and Thibodeau promised Butler that they would find a suitable trade for him as long as he rejoined the team and played as usual during the regular season.
So far, only two teams have reportedly made serious offers — the Miami Heat and the Houston Rockets — but all iterations of a potential trade package have been rejected by Minnesota.
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