NBA Rumors 2018: Jimmy Butler’s Rumored Destinations, Boston Celtics Included, After Declining Wolves’ 4-Year, $110M Offer

Now that Jimmy Butler has declined a generous offer to extend his stay with the Minnesota Timberwolves, seeing him enter the 2019 free agency is becoming more likely. At least three NBA teams are speculated to be his next stop, and one of them is the Boston Celtics.

Butler was traded by the Chicago Bulls to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2017 carrying with him a contract until season 2018-19 and a player option in season 2019-20. With a stellar performance in his first year in Minnesota, the organization wanted to ensure their future with the 28-year-old versatile player. However, Butler’s camp declined a hefty offer.

There are several possibilities here. For one, there is a chance that Butler is simply not fully convinced about staying with the Wolves. On the other hand, the player’s reps are likely expecting he will have a much better season in 2018-19 which could give his agents a higher leverage in dealing with offers during the NBA free agency 2019.

Reports now have it that at least three NBA teams are emerging as possible stops for Jimmy Butler during the NBA free agency 2019. One of them is the Boston Celtics, and the idea of seeing Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler playing together is very interesting.

In a discussion on the NBC Sports Chicago’s Bulls Talk podcast, Mark Schanowski recalled how Irving and Butler have been wanting to join the same team. “And then you look at Kyrie Irving and Jimmy Butler talking about getting together somewhere. That could be with the Knicks or Nets,” the sportscaster said (via SNY.TV).

The possibility for Jimmy Butler and Kyrie Irving wearing the Celtics jersey following the 2019 free agency was further ignited by Vincent Goodwill’s scoop. "There's a third guy that I can't mention, but yeah," Goodwill said. "I can't tell you (who) but I can tell you it's a very accomplished NBA player. Very accomplished."

While many NBA teams are busy shopping for contracts in the 2018 NBA free agency, Timberwolves executives were also hoping to get ahead. They reportedly offered Jimmy Butler to extend his stay for another four years with a hefty $110 million deal.

However, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor confirmed to ESPN that Butler’s camp has already declined that offer. "They said, 'You guys have done everything and we're very appreciative, but our bet is that we should wait 'til next year and we could get ourselves a better deal.' ... We did everything we could, and they want to do what they think is right for Jimmy,” Taylor revealed.