According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Timberwolves want to move discontented star Jimmy Butler soon. And the Sixers are among the teams interested in talking with Minnesota about acquiring the four-time All-Star.
The Butler saga has intensified in recent days, with owner Glen Taylor inserting himself prominently. Taylor and Butler reportedly want a trade to be completed before the Timberwolves begin practicing Tuesday, contrary to the wishes of president of basketball operations and coach Tom Thibodeau.
So far, few franchises, if any, are engaged in serious conversations with the Timberwolves on Butler, sources said. But the list of organizations interested in talking further with Minnesota is significant, league sources said: Brooklyn, Detroit, Houston, the LA Clippers, Miami, Philadelphia and Portland are among the teams interested in probing for deals.
Wojnarowski later added Cleveland to that list.
Paul Hudrick already covered why the Sixers may want to stay away from Butler. He's not the ideal on-court fit, and from an outsider's perspective, Butler does seem to have a bit of an abrasive personality. He'd also cost the team a good chunk of cash if they wanted to re-sign him once his contract expires after this season, although Wojnarowski reports that "several teams are willing to take Butler without an assurance that he would re-sign with them in the summer."
The Sixers are also not on his reported list of preferred trade destinations, which includes the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets and Los Angeles Clippers.
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Still, it's far from a huge shock that the Sixers would at least want to talk with the Timberwolves about Butler, one of the best two-way players in the game. While he's not a perfect fit, his abilities to score in isolation and defend on the perimeter would boost the Sixers' title hopes in the short term.
Head coach Brett Brown said Saturday his goal for this season is to make the NBA Finals (see story).
It may not be likely, but there's evidently a chance that new GM Elton Brand makes a massive splash and fulfills Brown's "star hunting" mission as the team pushes toward that goal.
