Jimmy Butler out for T-Wolves' Preseason Finale; Conditioning in Minnesota
All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler will not play for the Minnesota Timberwolves in their preseason finale against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.
According to Bucks sideline reporter Katie George, T-Wolves head coach Tom Thibodeau said Butler remained in Minnesota to work on his conditioning.
Butler practiced with the Timberwolves on Wednesday for the first time since last season, and he created a spectacle in the process.
Per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, Butler talked trash in the direction of teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, as well as Thibodeau and general manager Scott Layden.
At one point, Butler reportedly yelled to Layden, "You f--king need me, Scott. You can't win without me."
Butler requested a trade three weeks ago, and he acknowledged the heated nature of the practice in an interview with ESPN's Rachel Nichols afterward: "A lot of it is true. I haven't played basketball in so long. I'm so passionate. I don't do it for any reason but to compete. All my emotion came out in one time. Was it the right way? No! But I can't control that when I'm out there competing. That's raw me, me at my finest, me at my purest. Inside the lines."
The four-time All-Star also gave a grim assessment of his standing with the organization: "It's not fixed. Let's be honest. ... It could be. Do I think so? No."
Butler confirmed to Nichols that he held a players-only meeting with his T-Wolves teammates Thursday.
He reportedly let the players know that his issues are with management and not them.
Wojnarowski reported that the Timberwolves and Miami Heat came close to completing a deal for Butler over the weekend before it fell apart.
Even so, the Heat are reportedly still interested in acquiring him.
The 29-year-old veteran was traded from the Chicago Bulls to the T-Wolves last offseason, and he went on to average 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.0 steals per game.
He also led Minnesota to its first playoff berth since 2003-04.
With the bizarre Butler situation hanging over them, the Timberwolves are preparing to open the regular season against the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.
