The Jimmy Butler saga continues to grow weirder and weirder by the day. It's unclear whether or not the Minnesota Timberwolves and Tom Thibodeau are willing to engage in trade talks for the disgruntled star, but now it appears Butler is willing to force his hand.

According to Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic:

“Now he wants out. And there remains a real possibility that he will not report to training camp next week if a trade has not been consummated, sources said.”

A training camp holdout is something more common in the NFL. Rarely does it happen in the NBA, but in Butler's situation, it may be the way to really force his way out of Minnesota. Thibodeau is stubborn enough to try and force the square peg into the round hole. He knows how much talent is on the roster and could be banking on his ability to make it work.

Additionally, Thibodeau and the organization may be uneasy about dealing Butler after giving up a haul to acquire him from the Bulls. Kris Dunn is a nice player who still has upside, even at 24. Zach LaVine is a super-athletic player who could blossom into a star. Not to mention, Lauri Markkanen looks like he's going to be a problem for defenses for years to come.

The Timberwolves could try and force the Butler-Towns-Wiggins combination to work for fear of seeing the Butler trade end in disappointment. If Butler believes this could happen, failing to report to training camp would send the clear message that the Jimmy Butler experiment in Minnesota is over.