Minnesota Timberwolves: 3 takeaways from the 2018 offseason
By Derek Hryn
1. Jimmy Butler could be on his way out
The Timberwolves traded away key assets to the Bulls for Jimmy Butler during the 2017 NBA Draft a year ago, but suddenly it doesn’t seem like it was a good move for either party.
In Butler’s first season with Minnesota, he pushed the team to a 47-35 record and the 8-seed in the Western Conference. They were quickly sent home by the Houston Rockets in five games in the first round of the playoffs.
In 59 games this season, he averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game.
Early this offseason, reports circulated about his dissatisfaction with some of the young players on the team, as well as their overall focus.
According to Darren Wolfson of 5 Eyewitness News, the team had high hopes of keeping Butler around for many years, offering him a $110 million extension over the next four years that Butler declined.
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To be fair, this was most likely a financial decision, since he could earn way more in free agency next summer, but it is obvious that Butler wants to win. Another year of disappointment could push him to pursue other options in 2019 when he hits the market.