Jimmy Butler of the Minnesota Timberwolves reportedly wants out, and the New York Knicks sit among the three teams on his wishlist.
The New York Knicks will have the cap space in 2019 to sign max free agents, with just $70 million committed to the payroll for the 2019-20 season. Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Kawhi Leonard can all hit the open market, but another big name who was set to join them might move sooner than expected.
According to Shams Charania and Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic, Jimmy Butler has requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, as the result of a meeting with head coach and executive Tom Thibodeau.
Jimmy Butler has requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, league sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski. Butler has given Minnesota a list of one-to-three teams with whom he's open to signing extension, in anticipation of trade.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 19, 2018
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Butler has a wishlist of three teams for a potential trade: the Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers. The Nets and Clippers also have max cap space to use in 2019.
Minnesota's Jimmy Butler has three preferred destinations for a trade, league sources tell ESPN: The Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers and New York Knicks. Those three teams have max cap space to sign Butler as a free agent in July.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 19, 2018
While any of these teams can wait for free agency, it’s a risk, rather than to stay a step ahead and make a trade to lock Butler in for a four-year deal.
There’s no reported price tag for Butler. No matter what the Timberwolves wants, though, would the Knicks even make a move?
Knicks president Steve Mills recently said, the team will not move first round picks or trade for players they can sign in free agency. Young players have accumulated over the past four drafts, including Kristaps Porzingis, Frank Ntilikina and Kevin Knox, and no first-rounders have moved since the Andrea Bargnani deal of 2014.
This does not prevent the Knicks from an inquiry, however, to see what Minnesota wants. At the 2017 NBA Draft, the Thibodeau-led front office sent the No. 7 overall pick (Lauri Markkanen), Zach LaVine and Kris Dunn to the Chicago Bulls for Butler.
With a trade request and likely contract extension on the way, it’s difficult to project if the price would resemble this, 15 months later. The Knicks have their picks and young pieces, but do they stick to Mills’ script, wait for the 2019 offseason and sign max players without the relinquishment of extra compensation?
With training camp close, the NBA’s first shake-up story of 2018-19 has arrived. What will transpire next?