The Jimmy Butler trade is not expected to heal the relationship between Minnesota Timberwolves head coach/president Tom Thibodeau and ownership, according to Sean Deveney of Sporting News.
The way Tom Thibodeau handled Jimmy Butler’s trade request reportedly didn't sit well with many people in Minnesota’s brass, and owner Glen Taylor could possibly fire Thibodeau after the season ends.
Thibodeau has three years left on the five-year contract he signed in 2016, and is owed close to $40 million.
Around the league, trading Butler was not expected to heal that gap and, in the end, it could bring the entire relationship to a close once the dust settles. The remaining issue is whether Thibodeau finishes the season in Minnesota, and with the team on a five-game losing streak, that’s not certain.
As a league source said recently, “Thibs feels disrespected. He has done what he came to do with that team. He got them to the playoffs. He got them headed in the right direction. He probably should have been given more leeway to handle this situation himself.”
Jimmy Butler reportedly told Tom Thibodeau four days after the Timberwolves were eliminated from the 2018 playoffs by the Houston Rockets that he wanted out of Minnesota. Thibodeau, however, didn’t take any action and was intent on keeping the four-time All-Star on the roster despite all the drama that Butler was creating.
The Timberwolves are currently on a five-game losing streak. Minnesota is 4-9 on the season.
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