Jimmy Butler Rumors: LeBron James' Arrival in LA Made Lakers Less Appealing

Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler apparently wants to go to a team where he can be the star, which rules out the Los Angeles Lakers.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, "LeBron James' arrival as the franchise's cornerstone made [joining the Lakers] less appealing for Butler in the prime of his career."

He is reportedly "enamored with the idea of playing a central role in a big market," with the Brooklyn Nets, New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers being his top trade destinations, per Wojnarowski.

According to Shams Charania of the Athletic, the three teams he has provided to the Timberwolves are the ones with which he would be willing to sign an extension.

This strategy seems to go against the recent trend of stars aligning with one another to create super teams. While Kevin Durant has won the last two NBA titles with the Golden State Warriors, earning Finals MVP each year, he has been mostly vilified by opposing fans.

It seems Butler wants to create his own legacy by having a team be built around him.

On the other hand, the 29-year-old has already been a star in a large market. He was the Chicago Bulls' go-to player in 2016-17 and could only help them reach the first round of the playoffs as a No. 8 seed.

While Minnesota has a chance to be a legitimate contender this year, any of the Clippers, Knicks or Nets could struggle even with the addition of Butler.