Jimmy Butler Trade News: Tom Thibodeau Still Trying To Get All-Star Wing To Stay

Jimmy Butler has already indicated that he’s ready to leave the Minnesota Timberwolves after his meeting with team president and head coach Tom Thibodeau last week, but it looks like Thibodeau is still trying to convince the All-Star wingman to stay.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Thibodeau reportedly met Jimmy Butler on Monday to convince him to rejoin the team before preseason begins. However, the four-time All-Star still wants the Timberwolves to honor his trade request.

Not much has changed since last week, and all signs still point to Jimmy Butler leaving Minnesota this offseason. But it should be noted that the Timberwolves are not going to ship him elsewhere just for the sake of doing so. They are likely going to wait for the best deal possible before they pull the trigger on a trade.

"Our reality is that he has requested a trade, so we'll honor that," Thibodeau told CBSSports’ Reid Forgrave. "But we're not just going to make any deal. ... Our conversations (between Butler and Thibodeau) will remain private. He requested a trade and we're going to honor his request. But we're not going to do anything that's bad for the Timberwolves. We're going to do what's good for the Timberwolves. We have to prioritize that. That's what our job is," he added.

Earlier this week, reports indicate that Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor is willing to trade Jimmy Butler, but it’s hard to imagine them getting equal value in return for the four-time All-Defensive Second Team member. According to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, the Timberwolves are reportedly asking for a promising young player, a draft pick, and a veteran wing for Butler.

Jimmy Butler averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.0 steals in under 37 minutes per game during the 2017-18 season. He also shot 47.4 percent from the field, 35.0 percent from beyond the arc, and 85.4 percent from the free-throw stripe.