Four first-round picks from the Houston Rockets weren’t enough to entice the Minnesota Timberwolves to trade Jimmy Butler. And from the sound of it, the offer could have been six first-rounders and it still may not have gotten the job done. Although at this point, it seems the Timberwolves have come to terms with the fact that Butler won’t be with the team long term.
But that doesn’t mean he has to go to Houston, not if Minnesota gets their way.
Obviously, it’s nothing personal against their Western Conference foe. But as Marc Stein of the New York Times detailed in his latest newsletter, the Timberwolves simply don’t want to be responsible for making the Rockets the NBA’s next super team.
Stein answered a question from an NBA fan in the newsletter while also admitting this doesn’t mean the Timberwolves wouldn’t take Houston’s offer if it were the best on the table.
Q: Do you really think that the Timberwolves wouldn’t trade Jimmy Butler to Houston if the Rockets gave them the best deal? — Alex Rankin (Iowa Colony, Texas)
STEIN: “Alex is undoubtedly referring to one of my Corner Three answers from last week, when I wrote that the Minnesota owner Glen Taylor and Wolves Coach Tom Thibodeau are in strong agreement about not wanting to trade Butler to Houston.
That sentiment remains valid and is unlikely to change. Neither Taylor nor Thibodeau wants to be responsible for potentially elevating the Rockets to superpower status by handing Butler to a team that already boasts James Harden and Chris Paul.
Yet it must be stressed that that is merely Minnesota’s very strong preference. The Wolves know they have to trade Butler eventually, because they’ll lose him for nothing in free agency if they keep him beyond the Feb. 7 trade deadline. So they can only be so choosy.
The Wolves, in short, want to trade Butler pretty much anywhere but Houston. But if the Rockets’ offer between now and then is indeed the best offer that surfaces, Minnesota would be foolish to just dismiss it.”
Potential Suitors Outside of Rockets
At this point, it’s truly tough to gauge how this situation will play out. As the trade deadline eventually gets closer we could see a wide range of teams jump back into the mix. The Rockets may even opt to up their offer and include a piece such as Eric Gordon or P.J. Tucker potentially. But for now, they seem content standing pat with their latest offer.
The Philadelphia 76ers have been pegged as a team to monitor a few times, but that’s mainly due to the fact that they’re adamant about adding another star. The Sixers have gotten off to a slow start to the season and if that continues, new general manager Elton Brand may be more open to making a big splash before the deadline.
The Butler situation isn’t likely to cool off anytime soon and until he’s dealt, it’s going to create storylines. And for what it’s worth, Minnesota’s thought process isn’t off base, because the Rockets would be incredibly loaded if they manage to add the All-Star guard.
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Timberwolves Don’t Want to Make Rockets a Superteam?