NBA GM on Jimmy Butler: 'Everywhere He Goes, It Becomes About Jimmy'
October 10, 2018
At least one NBA general manager is skeptical about Jimmy Butler's ability to make the players around him better.
Per Sean Deveney of Sporting News, an unnamed NBA GM expressed his concern about how adding a player like Butler would impact a team's locker room:
"As good as Jimmy is, I think you have to be concerned about the impact he is going to have in the locker room, on your younger guys, on your coaching staff, all of that. He has gotten the benefit of the doubt, but if you look at his history, he’s had trouble getting along in Chicago and now in Minnesota.
"Everywhere he goes, it becomes about Jimmy, and if you’re going to bring him in, you have to account for that."
The comments come as the Minnesota Timberwolves are still engaged in conversations to trade Butler, potentially before the start of the regular season on Oct. 17.
Per The Athletic's Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski, Butler reiterated his desire to be dealt during a meeting with Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday.
Minnesota acquired Butler from the Chicago Bulls in June 2017. The four-time All-Star led the Timberwolves in scoring (22.2 points per game) and helped the franchise make the playoffs for the first time since 2003-04.
After the season ended, Deveney reported Butler had problems with Andrew Wiggins related to his "work ethic and his approach on the defensive end of the floor."
In July, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times reported Butler was frustrated by the "nonchalant attitudes of younger teammates—specifically Karl-Anthony Towns" during the 2017-18 season.
Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Timberwolves and Heat were nearing a deal for Butler last weekend until "Minnesota moved to amend the framework of the trade and talks collapsed Saturday."
Butler has averaged at least 20 points and five rebounds per game in each of the past four seasons. The 29-year-old is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract that also includes a player option for the 2019-20 season.