Jimmy Butler on Timberwolves Practice: 'All of My Emotion Came Out at One Time'

Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Jimmy Butler said his actions at Wednesday's practice were "brutally honest" and the product of his time away from the floor.

"I think that I was honest," Butler told ESPN's Rachel Nichols. "Was I brutally honest? Yes. But I think that's the problem. Everybody's so scared to be honest with one another. If you didn't like the way that I handled myself in practice, one of the players come up to me. Somebody say something. Anybody. I'm not going to take offense. It's not personal. 'Jimmy, you shouldn't have done that.' 'Yeah, you probably right.' I would have said, 'I ain't hooped in I don't know how long.' I'm passionate about it. I love the game, and I love to win. And that's all I was out there doing, was competing."  

Butler also said "a lot" of what was reported about his performance at practice was true. 

"All my emotion came out at one time," he said.         

Butler returned to Timberwolves practice Wednesday for the first time since he requested a trade during a meeting with head coach and team president Tom Thibodeau last month. 

According to ESPN.com's Adrian Wojnarowski, Butler hit the practice floor in Minneapolis and was "boldly challenging teammates, coaches and front office executives in the session."

Specifically, Butler reportedly addressed general manager Scott Layden and said: "You f--king need me, Scott. You can't win without me."

Furthermore, Butler reportedly had harsh words for Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, according to Yahoo Sports' Chris Haynes: "Screaming from the top of his lungs, Butler uttered taunts at his teammates such as 'They ain't [expletive]!' and 'They soft!' league sources said. Most of the players knew the invectives were directed at Towns and Wiggins, league sources said."

Butler explained he took aim at Towns and Wiggins in practice because he believes they're not competing hard enough. 

"Am I being tough on him? Yeah, that's who am I," he told Nichols, per Wojnarowski. "I'm not the most talented player on the team. Who is the most talented player on our team—KAT. Who is the most god-gifted player on our team—Wiggs. Who plays the hardest? Me! I play hard. I put my body (on the line) every day in practice, every day in games. That's my passion. Everybody leads in different ways. That's how I show I'm here for you."

Butler can become an unrestricted free agent following the 2018-19 season.

The Miami Heat have been the most active team in pursuit of the four-time All-Star, but Wojnarowski reported trade talks between Miami and Minnesota broke down over the weekend after they "advanced to the brink" of agreeing to terms. 

The T-Wolves reportedly requested a "sweeter return" after the Heat agreed to include shooting guard Josh Richardson in their proposal, according to Wojnarowski, which wound up being the breaking point. 

As things stand, Butler believes his relationship with the franchise is still fractured. 

"It's not fixed," Butler told Nichols. "Let's be honest."  

With or without Butler, the Timberwolves will open their season Oct. 17 against the San Antonio Spurs.