Minnesota Timberwolves: 2018-19 NBA season preview
By James Grieco
Storyline 1: What in God’s name is going to happen with Jimmy Butler?
Despite a quiet past few days, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and the NY Times’s Marc Stein have reported that negotiations with the Miami Heat have been ongoing, and a deal was almost in place Wednesday night before Minnesota’s last-minute shuffling nixed that.
This trade is not a matter of if it will happen, but when. Woj also noted Thursday night that Jimmy Butler doesn’t plan on missing any regular season games if his wrist is healthy:
Sources: Barring a trade, Tom Thibodeau is still determined to get Butler back with the team for start of season. Butler hasn't made a final decision on when he'll join team and practice, but he doesn't plan to miss regular season games if his wrist is healthy. https://t.co/iQypvZ88ad
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 4, 2018
Obviously Butler rejoining the team would be awkward and perhaps even dramatic given all that has transpired between him and the duo of Wiggins and Towns. Regardless of that possibility, the lack of leverage the Wolves have is being blown out of proportion.
If the Heat are indeed interested in acquiring Butler, they’ll have to give up positive value; they have no other paths to getting a superstar over the next two years thanks to head-scratching offseasons in 2016 and 2017.
If the Heat are only willing to include Goran Dragic and Hassan Whiteside in this deal, which KSTP and ESPN1500’s Darren Wolfson has reported, the Wolves will go elsewhere. Dragic is 32 years old and overrated despite his All-Star appearance last season, while Whiteside is negative value. Tyler Johnson and Dion Waiters, other names bandied about among Heat fans, also have negative value due to their contracts (not to mention Waiters’ health situation).
Per Wolfson, the Wolves have been seeking Bam Adebayo, Josh Richardson and a first round pick, which simply won’t happen either.
Had a mutual friend of ours in the league say today that he heard the Wolves asked Miami for both Richardson and Bam. But couldn't confirm from another contact. But falls in line with what @TheSteinLine has tonight.
— Darren Wolfson (@DWolfsonKSTP) October 4, 2018
Both of these teams will budge — the Wolves should be reasonable and only demand Richardson and a first-rounder, and the Heat would be foolish to pass that up if they legitimately want Butler.
Maybe this deal will get done before the regular season starts, maybe not. But the Wolves and Heat both have something the other fairly wants, so this situation should work itself out.
That being said, the Wolves absolutely must get Richardson back in any deal with Miami if they want to come out looking like winners (or as much as they can given how this fiasco has gone); his team-friendly contract and talent on the wing are exactly the kind of things Minnesota is lacking.
When a trade is done, this storyline will shift toward following the progress of the players Minnesota acquired in the deal. Of course, there’ll be an echo chamber all year from both the media and the fans on whether the Wolves made the right deal or not.