Jimmy Butler Rumors: SG Could Sit Out for ‘Extended’ Time to Try to Force Trade

Jim Mone/Associated Press

Jimmy Butler appears to be done playing for the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported Butler will sit out Wednesday’s game against the Utah Jazz, which could be part of an “extended absence” for the All-Star.

The team listed him as out because of “general soreness and precautionary rest,” but Butler seemingly has no plans to play basketball again until a trade is completed.

The timing here does not feel like an accident. Marquese Chriss and Brandon Knight are at end of the 60-day window the Houston Rockets have to wait before trading them.

Chriss and Knight are the two salaries being sent to Minnesota, along with four first-round draft picks, in a trade proposal, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Butler sitting out now could be his way of forcing the Timberwolves’ hand. The Miami Heat, Butler’s other main suitor, are not playing again until Saturday. Minnesota could arrange a trade with Miami and not have Butler miss a single game with his new team.

Either way, Butler’s clearly done playing whatever version of the nice guy role he was by suiting up in Minnesota.

The Timberwolves have looked like a fractured team on the court and a melodrama off it all season, highlighted by a 30-point drubbing by the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday.

Butler scored 32 points to lead Minnesota in a 124-120 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday, but he has drawn a cool reception from jilted Timberwolves fans.

“It’s basketball,” Butler told reporters Monday. “I don’t think nothing that has gone on before this game has anything to do with us going out there and competing.

“We all go out there and play together, play to win—with or without what is going on.”