Jimmy Butler requested a trade on Wednesday after meeting with Minnesota Timberwolves head coach and president Tom Thibodeau and general manager Scott Layden on Tuesday in Los Angeles, setting up one of the biggest folds in recent history.

While he intends to land with one of three teams before the start of the season, some have speculated the possibility of letting him play out the season in Minnesota and snatching him as a free agent next year.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, that would be a hard ask when it comes to Butler.

“Rival executives believe a Butler trade could be inevitable this season, with Minnesota clearly tilting toward favoring its future around young star Karl-Anthony Towns.”

All three of Butler's preferred teams have room to take on his desired five-year, $190 million deal next summer, and potentially even another of a similar size if it came to it, but taking a Lakers-like approach to wait until the summer has proved a deterrent in recent cases like Paul George, and it could prove so again for Kawhi Leonard, if he's convinced to stay in Toronto.

Minnesota will now have to shift course and iron out a deal with Karl-Anthony Towns, putting him alongside Andrew Wiggins as the two pillars of this team moving forward, something they would be unable to do with Butler as the alpha dog in the locker room.

The New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and the L.A. Clippers would be smart to start readying up packages for Butler, as the bidding war won't take long to start.