Minnesota Timberwolves small forward Jimmy Butler almost got his wish to head to South Beach, but Tom Thibodeau reportedly got too greedy and pissed off Miami Heat president Pat Riley.
According to Jorge Sedano of ESPN, the Timberwolves and Heat had essentially agreed to a trade which would have sent Butler to the Heat in exchange for swingman Josh Richardson, guard Dion Waiters, and a protected first-round pick.
The deal reportedly progressed to a point where the Timberwolves and Heat exchanged medical information. That's when Thibodeau, who is the head coach and president of the Timberwolves, irked Riley.
“Thibs called back and wanted more picks. And Pat Riley, literally, I was told, called him a mother-bleeper and hung up the phone.”
Jimmy Butler requested a trade from the Timberwolves almost four weeks ago, and the four-time All-Star reportedly prefers to play for the Heat. Butler is close with Heat legend Dwyane Wade and believes he can recruit other star players to South Beach.
Butler and his representatives have reportedly grown frustrated by how the Timberwolves have handled his trade request. He returned to practice on Wednesday and caused quite the stir, yelling at teammates, Thibodeau, and general manager Scott Layden.
The regular season starts next week, and it’s looking like there could be a slight chance Butler is still on the Timberwolves when Minnesota takes on the San Antonio Spurs. From the outside looking in, there’s no way Butler can share the same locker room with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
But then again, Jimmy Butler feeds off of confrontation, so maybe he'll play even better.
Follow Us
Subscribe