Unless you have been living under a rock, you know Jimmy Butler has reportedly requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves and that his relationship with big man Karl-Anthony Towns is murky, to say the least.
Butler reportedly got fed up with the nonchalant attitude of Towns throughout the 2017-18 regular season. ESPN insider Stephen A. Smith said on Thursday's edition of “First Take” that Butler and his camp believe Towns cares more about putting up good stats instead of winning games.
Well, Towns has had enough of his name being thrown around and took to Instagram this evening to let people know how he is feeling.
After Jimmy Butler’s trade request, rumors started swirling.
And Karl-Anthony Towns has a message for people with “sources”. pic.twitter.com/lAxL60JJUy
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) September 21, 2018
Karl-Anthony Towns made the All-Star team for the first time in his career last season. The former No. 1 overall pick out of Kentucky averaged 21.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game in the regular season while shooting 54.5 percent from the field and 42.1 percent from 3-point distance.
Towns, 22, is entering the final year of his rookie contract and currently slated to make $7.8 million in 2018-19. If he and the Timberwolves are unable to agree upon an extension before the season starts, Towns will enter restricted free agency in the summer of 2019 if Minnesota offers him a $10.1 million qualifying offer.
Shams Charania of The Athletic is reporting that Butler's future with the team is stalling Towns' contract extension. It's pretty clear to read between the lines here: Towns doesn't want Butler to be on the roster anymore.
The Timberwolves parted ways with player development coach Vince Legarza this summer. Legarza was very close with Towns and many surmised he was upset to see Legarza go. It's just been a wild offseason in Minnesota. The Timberwolves made the playoffs for the first time in 14 years last season and it appeared the franchise had turned the corner. But with everything that has come out in the last couple of days, it almost seems like the organization is going backward, again.