It’s looking more and more like Minnesota Timberwolves star wing Jimmy Butler will hit free agency. As we noted earlier in the offseason, it had been reported that Butler was unlikely to sign an extension prior to the start of the 2018-19 season.
That’s now officially official.
#Twolves All-Star Jimmy Butler has officially turned down the Wolves' 4-year, $110M range extension offer, per owner Glen Taylor. Full interview posting soon, which includes stuff on KAT extension talks, Thibs, filling out the roster, and #LosLynx.
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) July 13, 2018
Acquired from the Chicago Bulls in a trade last summer, Butler has reportedly found himself at odds with the likes of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins. It’s led to speculation that he will leave Minnesota in free agency next summer.
If that’s the case, it would not be an absolute shock to see the Wolves look to move on from Butler in a trade this summer or during the 2018-19 campaign.
Butler, 28, averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists while shooting at a 47 percent mark from the field. It resulted in his fourth consecutive All-Star appearance.
Now that Minnesota is actively negotiating a max extension with Towns, the Butler situation will take a back seat here over the short term.
Once that’s resolved, we expect talks between Butler and the Wolves’ brass to heat up. If not, he could be on his way out of town later this summer.