Minnesota Timberwolves small forward Jimmy Butler is most determined to find a way to play for the L.A. Clippers, according to a report from Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
It's been earlier reported that Butler has requested a trade from the Timberwolves. The appeal of partnering with a second star in Los Angeles is an intriguing scenario for Butler, per Wojnarowski.
Minnesota's Jimmy Butler is most determined to find a way to the Los Angeles Clippers, league sources tell ESPN. The appeal of partnering with a second star – the Clippers have two max contract slots available in summer free agency – is an intriguing scenario for him.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 20, 2018
Butler can become an unrestricted free agent in 2019 if he declines his player option for the 2019-20 season. ESPN is reporting that Butler wants to sign a max contract extension with the team that he gets traded to.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Butler was hoping for a renegotiation and extension of his contract this summer, one that would have raised his salary for the 2018-19 season to $30 million, and added another four years and $145 million on to that. The Timberwolves, however, would have had to cut an enormous amount of salary to pull that off. Instead, the organization offered Butler a four-year, $110 million extension, which was the highest they could go. Butler turned it down because more money is available to him on the open market.
If the Clippers are able to acquire Butler, who is the other star they're going to land to pair with him? Well, there's a guy by the name of Kawhi Leonard who can become a free agent next summer, and two personalities from ESPN said last week that should Leonard leave the Toronto Raptors, he would sign with the Clippers over the Lakers.
Back in January, former NBA player and now current ESPN analyst Jalen Rose said the relationship between the San Antonio Spurs and Leonard was fractured, and pretty much no one believed him. Fast forward to today, and Rose looks like the smartest guy on the planet, as he was the first person to report that Leonard wouldn’t play for the Spurs again.
San Antonio traded Leonard and shooting guard Danny Green to the Raptors for swingman DeMar DeRozan, big man Jakob Poeltl, and a protected 2019 first round pick.
When Leonard requested a trade from the Spurs, the All-Star small forward reportedly asked to be sent to Los Angeles, either to the Lakers or Clippers. Everyone surmised Leonard preferred the Lakers since they have a brighter future than the Clippers, but according to Rose, that may not be the case anymore.
While discussing Leonard’s future on ESPN’s “Get Up” last week, Rose said if Leonard does leave Toronto for Los Angeles, it will be for the Clippers, and not the Lakers. ESPN reporter Ramona Shelburne, who appeared on an episode of Mason and Ireland on 710 ESPN, said the Clippers are the number one ranked team likely to land Leonard next summer.
“I would say Clippers 1, because I agree with those two guys [Wright and Rose],” says Shelburne. “I would say Toronto 2, and I would say Lakers 3. Toronto can give him more money than anybody else can give him. He lost $70M by getting traded. Toronto can help make some of that back up.
“I know this is your hate team, the Clippers, but the Clippers are doing EVERYTHING they can right now to get ready to this pitch to Kawhi Leonard and some of the other big time free agents next summer. Their entire organizational strategy is built towards positioning themselves [for next summer]. I’ve always kind of bought [the Kawhi-to-Clippers rumors].”
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