Jimmy Butler reportedly wants out of Minnesota, but that doesn't mean that a trade is imminent. Timberwolves head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau is apparently reluctant to deal his star, and even if they are willing to trade him, the front office will have to comb through the various offers to find which one best suits their needs.
In other words, working out a trade is a long, complicated process, and the Wolves have been pressured into making a deal quickly. In fact, according to ESPN's Zach Lowe, certain members of the Wolves organization would like to trade Butler before Monday's media day in order to avoid "a circus."
But perhaps sensing that a deal may not be done over the weekend, the team has now made the wise decision to excuse Butler from media day, according to The Athletic's Shams Charania.
Additionally, The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski reported that team has been told Butler won't be available for on-court activities when camp opens up on Tuesday. Whether that's due to some sort of undisclosed injury, or simply a personal decision by Butler not to participate is not clear.
If Butler doesn't show up to camp, it would make things even more difficult for Minnesota. Other teams would see that the faint chance of Butler and Thibodeau working out a truce was truly out the window, taking away what little leverage the Wolves had to begin with.
It's a double-edged sword for the Minnesota front office. They don't want to rush into a deal, but they also don't want to start the season with the discord and awkwardness of Butler still being on the roster. At this point, however, it appears it would be best for all parties if Butler is moved as soon as possible.
