Jimmy Butler Expected To Play In Wolves' Regular Season Opener

[RealGM Wiretap]

The Minnesota Timberwolves expect Jimmy Butler to play in the team's regular season opener at the San Antonio Spurs.

Butler practiced with the Wolves on Sunday.

Trade talks concerning Butler between the Wolves and Miami Heat are dead for now.

Butler requested a trade from the Wolves before the start of training camp.

Via Shams Charania/The Athletic

[SlimD235]

My how the turntables...

[ChokeFasncists]

Thibs is sooooo happy!

Where's Joakim?

[PocketRockets]

Why is Thibbs happy? It’s gonna be a $*%# show the whole season. Players not playing hard. Quiting plays. Bickering on the court. Toxic season for sure.

[AmitabhaBuddha]

Thibs played this perfectly. KAT signed his extension as soon as Jimmy requested the trade (unlikely coincidence). Jimmy lowered his value so much the owner could not force thibs to trade him. Now he has the roster he wanted playing opening night. Hopefully the media gives this man the props he deserves.

[likashing]

Even when Kobe was fussing with Shaq and with Lakers management, it was less crazy than Jimmy.

Jimmy is too low on the totem poll and has no clout for this crap.

Look at his eyes during interviews, I see craziness.

[MitchB3]

I don't know why they would want to keep Andrew Wiggins, even before he was drafted I didn't see that mentality of wanting to be the best of the best, an elite player, he's only about getting his money. Look at what it took to sign him, the owner was like I need to see improvement; he receives his contract and stays the same player. Please don't give me that nonsense of "oh well they traded for Jimmy Butler, so in adding Butler off course he took a step back."

[ralphisBullsFan]

Has any all star caliber player feuded with and publicly denounced his team as much as Butler has and not end up traded? I can't think of any off the top of my head. Will still always love Jimmy for how hard he played for the Bulls though.

[shrink]

I don't know why they would want to keep Andrew Wiggins, even before he was drafted I didn't see that mentality of wanting to be the best of the best, an elite player, he's only about getting his money. Look at what it took to sign him, the owner was like I need to see improvement; he receives his contract and stays the same player. Please don't give me that nonsense of "oh well they traded for Jimmy Butler, so in adding Butler off course he took a step back."

Who are you responding to?

Did you see a thread on Jimmy Butler and think, “hey, I know someone on that team, so I’m going to make a speech about him?”

[KGdaBom]

Why is Thibbs happy? It’s gonna be a $*%# show the whole season. Players not playing hard. Quiting plays. Bickering on the court. Toxic season for sure.

You make some incredible assumptions. I'm a collegiate level athlete and there's no way in hell I would ever not play hard, or quit on plays. It's possible I would bicker on the court. These guys made it to the highest level. They are less likely to do those things than me I would think.

[Pickled Prunes]

Why is Thibbs happy? It’s gonna be a $*%# show the whole season. Players not playing hard. Quiting plays. Bickering on the court. Toxic season for sure.

You make some incredible assumptions. I'm a collegiate level athlete and there's no way in hell I would ever not play hard, or quit on plays. It's possible I would bicker on the court. These guys made it to the highest level. They are less likely to do those things than me I would think.

You may have worked harder to be a college level player than some of these guys work to make the NBA. If you had KAT's body or Wiggin's athleticism you would have had a good shot at the NBA. (Maybe you do!) Hell, JaVale is successful in the NBA and he's a klutz. Being 7 ft tall is nice. But some guys love working on their games more than others.

[KGdaBom]

Why is Thibbs happy? It’s gonna be a $*%# show the whole season. Players not playing hard. Quiting plays. Bickering on the court. Toxic season for sure.

You make some incredible assumptions. I'm a collegiate level athlete and there's no way in hell I would ever not play hard, or quit on plays. It's possible I would bicker on the court. These guys made it to the highest level. They are less likely to do those things than me I would think.

You may have worked harder to be a college level player than some of these guys work to make the NBA. If you had KAT's body or Wiggin's athleticism you would have had a good shot at the NBA. (Maybe you do!) Hell, JaVale is successful in the NBA and he's a klutz. Being 7 ft tall is nice. But some guys love working on their games more than others.

I was a college level athlete in Tennis and Ultimate. I love basketball, but I suck at it. I look at the ball when I dribble and can shoot OK only if unguarded. I expect every player on the Wolves to play hard this year, not quit on plays and I actually doubt there will be any serious bickering on the court. The best resolution for the Wolves is if everybody resolves their differences, they Keep Jimmy this year and Max him next so he is with the team for six more seasons. I know this is unlikely.

[Pickled Prunes]

You make some incredible assumptions. I'm a collegiate level athlete and there's no way in hell I would ever not play hard, or quit on plays. It's possible I would bicker on the court. These guys made it to the highest level. They are less likely to do those things than me I would think.

You may have worked harder to be a college level player than some of these guys work to make the NBA. If you had KAT's body or Wiggin's athleticism you would have had a good shot at the NBA. (Maybe you do!) Hell, JaVale is successful in the NBA and he's a klutz. Being 7 ft tall is nice. But some guys love working on their games more than others.

I was a college level athlete in Tennis and Ultimate. I love basketball, but I suck at it. I look at the ball when I dribble and can shoot OK only if unguarded. I expect every player on the Wolves to play hard this year, not quit on plays and I actually doubt there will be any serious bickering on the court. The best resolution for the Wolves is if everybody resolves their differences, they Keep Jimmy this year and Max him next so he is with the team for six more seasons. I know this is unlikely.

I like Jimmy but I don't think that would be an ideal outcome for the Wolves. I certainly wouldn't want him at that price!

[KGdaBom]

You may have worked harder to be a college level player than some of these guys work to make the NBA. If you had KAT's body or Wiggin's athleticism you would have had a good shot at the NBA. (Maybe you do!) Hell, JaVale is successful in the NBA and he's a klutz. Being 7 ft tall is nice. But some guys love working on their games more than others.

I was a college level athlete in Tennis and Ultimate. I love basketball, but I suck at it. I look at the ball when I dribble and can shoot OK only if unguarded. I expect every player on the Wolves to play hard this year, not quit on plays and I actually doubt there will be any serious bickering on the court. The best resolution for the Wolves is if everybody resolves their differences, they Keep Jimmy this year and Max him next so he is with the team for six more seasons. I know this is unlikely.

I like Jimmy but I don't think that would be an ideal outcome for the Wolves. I certainly wouldn't want him at that price!

Top players on max contracts are the best value contracts in the NBA. How much is Curry making now? Didn't he sign for a designated Veteran Max? Isn't it 205 Million something? Numbers keep going up. Just the way it is.

[Pickled Prunes]

I was a college level athlete in Tennis and Ultimate. I love basketball, but I suck at it. I look at the ball when I dribble and can shoot OK only if unguarded. I expect every player on the Wolves to play hard this year, not quit on plays and I actually doubt there will be any serious bickering on the court. The best resolution for the Wolves is if everybody resolves their differences, they Keep Jimmy this year and Max him next so he is with the team for six more seasons. I know this is unlikely.

I like Jimmy but I don't think that would be an ideal outcome for the Wolves. I certainly wouldn't want him at that price!

Top players on max contracts are the best value contracts in the NBA. How much is Curry making now? Didn't he sign for a designated Veteran Max? Isn't it 205 Million something? Numbers keep going up. Just the way it is.

Don't compare Butler to Curry.... Just.... no.

You can compare him to John Wall if you like. Great player with injury concerns and a prickly personality who's about to get way overpaid and become an anchor, dragging his team down for years to come.

Butler plays about 80% of his game. I'd be comfortable paying him 80% of the max. But someone will pay hi the Max and three years from now we'll all look back at this conversation and laugh.

Durant on a Max deal is a value contract. Butler is not.

[KGdaBom]

I like Jimmy but I don't think that would be an ideal outcome for the Wolves. I certainly wouldn't want him at that price!

Top players on max contracts are the best value contracts in the NBA. How much is Curry making now? Didn't he sign for a designated Veteran Max? Isn't it 205 Million something? Numbers keep going up. Just the way it is.

Don't compare Butler to Curry.... Just.... no.

You can compare him to John Wall if you like. Great player with injury concerns and a prickly personality who's about to get way overpaid and become an anchor, dragging his team down for years to come.

Butler plays about 80% of his game. I'd be comfortable paying him 80% of the max. But someone will pay hi the Max and three years from now we'll all look back at this conversation and laugh.

Durant on a Max deal is a value contract. Butler is not.

Anybody in the top 30 players is a huge value on a max contract.

[Pickled Prunes]

Top players on max contracts are the best value contracts in the NBA. How much is Curry making now? Didn't he sign for a designated Veteran Max? Isn't it 205 Million something? Numbers keep going up. Just the way it is.

Don't compare Butler to Curry.... Just.... no.

You can compare him to John Wall if you like. Great player with injury concerns and a prickly personality who's about to get way overpaid and become an anchor, dragging his team down for years to come.

Butler plays about 80% of his game. I'd be comfortable paying him 80% of the max. But someone will pay hi the Max and three years from now we'll all look back at this conversation and laugh.

Durant on a Max deal is a value contract. Butler is not.

Anybody in the top 30 players is a huge value on a max contract.

Not even almost true. The "max" is an amount that teams are pressured to pay on the basis of "If you don't pay me, someone else will." Max deals are based on one or more of these four things:

1) Past performance- (CP3, Lebron, Butler) These players are worth the max today but will probably not be by the end of the contract.
2) Potential- (Wiggins, Booker, Wall) Not yet worth the Max but hope remains that they will be someday.
3) Desperation- (Conley, Holiday, Butler) Will likely never be worth the max but good enough that your willing to bite the bullet to get them or keep them around.
4) Actual value- (Curry, Durant, Harden, AD) Transcendent, mid-prime players that (barring injury) will bring you value for the life of the deal.

Yeah, I know Butler was mentioned twice.

[KGdaBom]

Don't compare Butler to Curry.... Just.... no.

You can compare him to John Wall if you like. Great player with injury concerns and a prickly personality who's about to get way overpaid and become an anchor, dragging his team down for years to come.

Butler plays about 80% of his game. I'd be comfortable paying him 80% of the max. But someone will pay hi the Max and three years from now we'll all look back at this conversation and laugh.

Durant on a Max deal is a value contract. Butler is not.

Anybody in the top 30 players is a huge value on a max contract.

Not even almost true. The "max" is an amount that teams are pressured to pay on the basis of "If you don't pay me, someone else will." Max deals are based on one or more of these four things:

1) Past performance- (CP3, Lebron, Butler) These players are worth the max today but will probably not be by the end of the contract.
2) Potential- (Wiggins, Booker, Wall) Not yet worth the Max but hope remains that they will be someday.
3) Desperation- (Conley, Holiday, Butler) Will likely never be worth the max but good enough that your willing to bite the bullet to get them or keep them around.
4) Actual value- (Curry, Durant, Harden, AD) Transcendent, mid-prime players that (barring injury) will bring you value for the life of the deal.

Yeah, I know Butler was mentioned twice.

Many players are very good at age 34. Butler will be one of them.

[Pickled Prunes]

Anybody in the top 30 players is a huge value on a max contract.

Not even almost true. The "max" is an amount that teams are pressured to pay on the basis of "If you don't pay me, someone else will." Max deals are based on one or more of these four things:

1) Past performance- (CP3, Lebron, Butler) These players are worth the max today but will probably not be by the end of the contract.
2) Potential- (Wiggins, Booker, Wall) Not yet worth the Max but hope remains that they will be someday.
3) Desperation- (Conley, Holiday, Butler) Will likely never be worth the max but good enough that your willing to bite the bullet to get them or keep them around.
4) Actual value- (Curry, Durant, Harden, AD) Transcendent, mid-prime players that (barring injury) will bring you value for the life of the deal.

Yeah, I know Butler was mentioned twice.

Many players are very good at age 34. Butler will be one of them.

I think I mentioned him with a couple of guys around 34. But Butler can't stay healthy now, let alone in 5 years. But I'm not here to bash Jimmy. He's a good player (obviously) but too much of an injury risk to bet my franchise on. And now with his divisiveness... he could be Pippin but he wants to be Jordan and he isn't near that level. He's a good #2, a great #3 but only a #1 on a bad team or a well balanced team ala the 2004 Pistons. (No max guys there either.)

[KGdaBom]

Not even almost true. The "max" is an amount that teams are pressured to pay on the basis of "If you don't pay me, someone else will." Max deals are based on one or more of these four things:

1) Past performance- (CP3, Lebron, Butler) These players are worth the max today but will probably not be by the end of the contract.
2) Potential- (Wiggins, Booker, Wall) Not yet worth the Max but hope remains that they will be someday.
3) Desperation- (Conley, Holiday, Butler) Will likely never be worth the max but good enough that your willing to bite the bullet to get them or keep them around.
4) Actual value- (Curry, Durant, Harden, AD) Transcendent, mid-prime players that (barring injury) will bring you value for the life of the deal.

Yeah, I know Butler was mentioned twice.

Many players are very good at age 34. Butler will be one of them.

I think I mentioned him with a couple of guys around 34. But Butler can't stay healthy now, let alone in 5 years. But I'm not here to bash Jimmy. He's a good player (obviously) but too much of an injury risk to bet my franchise on. And now with his divisiveness... he could be Pippin but he wants to be Jordan and he isn't near that level. He's a good #2, a great #3 but only a #1 on a bad team or a well balanced team ala the 2004 Pistons. (No max guys there either.)

You have your right to be wrong . If we remember this five years from now we will see who is correct.