NBA training camps start next week, but the frenzy has already begun thanks to Jimmy Butler's reported request to be traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday. The Wolves All-Star reportedly has three preferred destinations: The Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers. Noticeably absent from the list are the Los Angeles Lakers, who many think will become the league's next superteam now that they've landed LeBron James.

But according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, James actually served as a deterrent rather than an incentive for Butler to want to join the Lakers. Via ESPN:

"[Butler] is enamored with the idea of playing a central role in a big market, sources said. Butler had once imagined playing for the Los Angeles Lakers, but LeBron James' arrival as the franchise's cornerstone made it less appealing for Butler in the prime of his career, league sources said."

On one level this makes sense -- Butler has worked incredibly hard to turn himself into one of the top two-way players in the league despite coming into the league with no such expectations, and he wants to get due credit as the best player on a team. On the other hand, James is a proven winner who could help give Butler a shot at winning an NBA title in the near future. The Nets, Knicks and Clippers are much farther away.

Butler is 29 years old, and generally NBA players start to decline in their early 30s, so signing a long-term deal with any of his three requested teams next season is a risky proposition if he eventually wants to be the best player on a championship team. But it's Butler's decision to make next offseason, though for now the Wolves have the power to trade him anywhere they like.

It's also interesting that another player has reportedly decided against playing with James. First Kyrie Irving demanded a trade from the Cavaliers. Then Paul George opted to re-sign with the Thunder this summer rather than joining the Lakers. Then it was Kawhi Leonard, who reportedly said he preferred the Clippers as a destination before being traded to the Raptors.

There's much still left to be unraveled in the Butler situation -- Tom Thibodeau reportedly has no desire to trade him at all -- but James will apparently have to wait if he wants another superstar to join him in Los Angeles.