The crumbling partnership of Minnesota Timberwolves stars Jimmy Butler and Karl Anthony-Towns could just have taken another hit. Darren Wolfson, an insider for Minnesota sports teams, hinted at another side story that arguably damaged the relationship between the two all-stars.
Shooter wasn't supposed to print this, but will be in tomorrow's Pioneer Press. Chiming in on the fascinating KAT-Butler #Twolves dynamic… pic.twitter.com/1fGERwx4nE
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) September 2, 2018
In early July this year, reports circulated that Butler is already getting tired a seemingly unconcerned Wolves team, and particularly took a shot on Towns' antics and immaturity. Butler's situation with the Wolves got even trickier when the 28-year old forward reportedly declined a four-year, $110 million extension offered by the team this summer. Team owner Glen Taylor provided his official statement on that development.
“They said they are really appreciative of it. We got to them right away, but they declined it,” Taylor said. “They said you guys have done everything, but our bet is we should wait until next year and we can get ourselves a better deal.”
Butler and Towns were both selected as All-Stars in 2018. A revamped Wolves roster, along with celebrated coach Tom Thibodeau, were poised to be a major contender in the Western Conference. However, they never lived up to the expectations as they barely stepped into the playoffs, getting the 8th seed in the final game of the regular season. Come playoff time, they were ambushed by a streaking Houston Rockets team who served them a 4-1 beating in the first round.
Rumor has it that Butler does not plan on re-signing with the team when he turns a free agent next year, prompting the Timberwolves front office to consider or maybe just listen to offers for the 6-foot-8 swingman.
Arguably the second-best two-way player in the league behind Kawhi Leonard, Butler has set his sights on playing with the New York Knicks or the Los Angeles Lakers in 2019.
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