The Minnesota Timberwolves will reportedly soon get an idea of where they stand with Jimmy Butler.
Per The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, Butler will meet with T’Wolves head coach Tom Thibodeau and general manager Scott Layden on Monday for an “honest” discussion about his long-term outlook with the team.
The Athletic’s Shams Charania added Butler has “begun to seriously contemplate” his future in Minnesota.
Per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the meeting will be used to sort out certain organizational issues.
“Whatever needs to be communicated…will be,” one source told Wojnarowski.
The meeting will come during an offseason in which there have been rumblings about dissent among the Timberwolves.
Sean Deveney of Sporting News reported Andrew Wiggins drew Butler’s ire last season:
“Sources familiar with the situation told Sporting News that Butler is uncertain about playing with Wiggins — Butler had problems last season with Wiggins, his work ethic and his approach on the defensive end of the floor. Thibodeau has had similar problems with Wiggins in the past, too, and he had some hope that bringing a tough-minded veteran like Butler into the locker room would spur Wiggins to improve. It didn’t.”
Last month, Butler engaged with a fan on Instagram who told him to “show [Karl-Anthony] Towns and [Wiggins] the way” to be leaders.
Butler responded (warning: NSFW language in link), “You show them since you have the answers.”
The T’Wolves acquired Butler from the Chicago Bulls last year. He led the franchise to its first playoff appearance since 2003-04 and first winning record since 2004-05.
A four-time All-Star, Butler can become a free agent next summer if he opts out of his deal. The 29-year-old averaged 22.2 points per game and shot a career-high 47.4 percent from the field last season.
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
