His inability to force a trade proves his inferiority as a brand name.
Jimmy Butler is about that life. We know this.
Stephen A. Smith mentioned it to Jalen Rose a month back when they were discussing the contentious relationship between Butler and Minnesota’s cornerstones Karl Anthony-Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
Stephen A., Jalen Rose discuss Jimmy Butler’s potential trade destinations | Get Up! | ESPN
In the midst of Minnesota Timberwolves’ All-Star Jimmy Butler’s trade request, Stephen A. Smith, Jalen Rose, and Mike Greenberg dive into possible landing spots such as the New York Knicks, LA Clippers, and the Brooklyn Nets.
Butler told Minnesota that he wasn’t coming back and he wanted a trade. It’s common knowledge that President Greg Taylor and GM Scott Layden wanted to oblige him, but deep down Coach Tom Thibodeau wants Butler to stay.
Tibs selfishly but understandably doesn’t want to break up Minnesota’s Big Three. He knows Minnesota doesn’t have a chance at playoff success without Butler in the fold completing a dangerous cipher and scenario that includes KAT and Wiggins, who have basically become Butler’s enemies after showing out and getting into a Twittersphere tango with Butler and former NBA champion badass Stephen Jackson.
So, instead of completing the deal with Miami and doing whatever they had to do to get Butler out of town, the deal fell through this weekend and Butler reported to camp. The rest is history.
Jimmy Butler talks ‘brutally honest’ practice, says relationship with Wolves is ‘not fixed’ | NBA
Rachel Nichols sits down with Jimmy Butler to talk about the “brutally honest” practice with the Minnesota Timberwolves, in which according to a report by ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski, he sought out people such as Karl-Anthony Towns for heated remarks.
The fact that he started flamin’ asses on site and cursing at upper management is what it is. Butler is a competitor and he feels that ownership chose to ride with the two youngsters that they invested max-money in. So when he walked into the Timberwolves facility, after all that has transpired in the offseason, you know he was about his business. He got nasty and challenged his teammates to show some passion.
He kept it throwback, big bully basketball, but I’m sure Butler was prepared to take it wherever anyone else wanted to take it. Reports say that most of his teammates got a kick out of Butler’s emphatic return. They support Butler’s analysis of a passion-less team led by overpaid, unmotivated youth.
Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter
A lot of Minnesota players left Timberwolves practice today energized by Butler’s performance, mesmerized with him taking end-of-the-bench players and running the table on the regulars, sources said. At the end, he marched out like if a mic drop. Butler delivered a tour de force.
Butler is a silent assassin with a goon streak waiting to erupt. Having to walk back into that facility knowing ownership doesn’t want you, that the organization doesn’t respect your presence and the younger players are posers who talk junk to you over social media— must have been the hardest thing Butler ever had to do.
Then again, he was probably anxious to get in there and cause the scene that went down on Wednesday. Butler had intentions of wilding out and hopefully forcing a trade that day. He was on a different kind of mission that most casual fans would never understand.
Adrian Wojnarowski on Twitter
At one point in a scrimmage, sources said, Butler turned to GM Scott Layden and screamed, “You (bleeping) need me. You can’t win without me.” Butler left teammates and coaches largely speechless. He dominated the gym in every way. Jimmy’s back.
If anybody had anything slick to say to Butler, if any player thought that they were better than him, then that was the time to address it and from the sound of it, Butler was the one who did all of talking, while he wiped the floor with the first team as a member of the third team and then walked out the gym.
Beyonce has an uncle named Larry Beyince. Bruh…. on Twitter
My dude Jimmy Butler busted KAT and Wiggins’ ass with Jason Sudeikis running point then popped them hoop earrings in and started talking hella shit. I’m stanning.
Then he did an interview. The act was legendary, but the response from the basketball world was mixed.
If Kobe or MJ or LeBron did it, folks would be calling it genius and leadership at its finest. That’s where Butler has it twisted. He thought he could demand a trade as if he equal in stature to guys who have done that in the past. He’s not considered a brand name on the level of Kyrie Irving or Chris Paul or LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard or even Carmelo Anthony.
Butler is a Top NBA player, but he’s not a shot caller. The Red Seas aren’t going to part or allow him to end up on the team of his choice. Especially not a year before he can sign with any team he wants as a free agent.
Slight miscalculation on his part, so I totally get his energy in his first practice back in the muck he so desperately tried to escape. He’s going to have to tone it down a bit going forward or the T-Wolves season will be over before it begins.
