With the Jimmy Butler saga still ongoing, we are seeing the dynamics of any potential deal coming together in front of our eyes. Marc Stein reported on his Sunday update thread that aside from the Toronto Raptors, several teams are trying to get involved in the trade as a third or fourth team, with the Minnesota Timberwolves being the name that comes up the most.
“…The Raptors are volunteering to participate in an eventual Butler trade as a third- or fourth-team facilitator that doesn’t land Butler but takes part in the transaction.”
“When I relayed that to one well-placed source, I was told that “about half the league” has made similar feelings known to the Heat as they try to concoct a trade that brings this saga to an end.”
“That group is believed to include the Timberwolves… but, again, in the role of trade facilitator and not with the intent to bring Butler back to Minnesota after he unforgettably forced a trade from the Timberwolves to the 76ers during the 2018-19 season.”
The Timberwolves do not want to be directly involved in the sweepstakes for Jimmy Butler, as they have a pretty negative history with Butler. Butler played for the Timberwolves previously and forced through a trade in quite spectacular fashion. Clearly, there is still some bad blood between the two sides.
Could the Timberwolves wanting to be involved in this deal mean that they are finally ready to move Julius Randle away from the team? Since trading Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks, the Timberwolves have tried desperately to make things work with Randle as his direct replacement, but have been unsuccessful so far.
Who Could Timberwolves Land In Potential Deal?
The Timberwolves might be looking to offload the $33 million that Julius Randle is making before he becomes a free agent. But if they do get involved in a deal, they would have to take someone back. And if they do so, who would they get back? It is hard to speculate, but if we take the four teams mentioned above – Timberwolves, Raptors, Heat, and Suns, this could be a potential idea.
The Timberwolves could give up Julius Randle and Mike Conley and get RJ Barrett in return, along with some players on smaller contracts from the Heat like a returning Kevin Love, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, and Pelle Larson. This would give the Timberwolves several rotation options that they can use.
RJ Barrett could take up the small forward position for the Timberwolves, with Jaden McDaniels taking up the power forward spot. This would leave the Timberwolves without a traditional point guard, which might require Anthony Edwards to have the ball more in his hands, at least till the end of the season.
A deal like this could help the Timberwolves get a massive return for what is an expiring contract they did not want in the first place. So they should try their best to get involved in any deal.
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