Jeff Teague shares his view on Jimmy Butler's hasty Timberwolves exit in 2018: "He was like 'take care of me, I want to get paid'"
When Jimmy Butler arrived in Minnesota in 2017, the Timberwolves had high expectations with Butler, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins leading the way. The Wolves were winning games, making them as high as the third seed in the Western Conference before a meniscus injury to Butler derailed Minnesota’s regular season record, dropping them to the eighth seed.
The Timberwolves lost to the Houston Rockets in five games in the first round of the playoffs, entering a dramatic summer involving numerous Butler trade rumors before the star forward was shipped to the Philadelphia 76ers the following season in 2018.
Butler’s messy exit from Minnesota was detailed by former teammate Jeff Teague on "The Draymond Green Show" in a clip shared on Thursday.
“That summer [Jimmy Butler] was like, ‘Ya’ll see when I’m out what the team look like, when I’m in, what we look like. Take care of me. I want to get paid right now.’ It was [Karl-Anthony Towns]’ turn to get paid," Teague said.
Teague mentioned how the locker-room situation in Minnesota had soured with some questionable vocal leadership from Butler.
“The way he used to talk to people, KAT, just really couldn’t handle it.” Teague added. "It was all money."
Jimmy Butler eyeing extension with Miami Heat, lack of deal could make him FA in 2025
Butler helped the Miami Heat clinch a playoff spot last season, appearing in 60 games in the regular season before suffering an injury ahead of their series against the Boston Celtics.
Butler averaged 20.8 points, 5.0 assists and 5.3 rebounds, along with 1.7 steals per game last season. Butler is eyeing an extension from Miami, but Heat president Pat Riley is reportedly ‘unsure’ about offering the star forward a new deal. 'Riley wants to see more from Butler', per reports.
The Heat have a nice core in place and are still a contender in the Eastern Conference. In Butler’s time in Miami, the Heat have made the playoffs in five straight seasons, making the NBA Finals in 2019 and 2022.
Jimmy Butler remains one of the top players in the NBA and will look to bounce back with the Heat in 2024. Without an extension, he is set to hit free agency in 2025 as an unrestricted free agent if he opts out of his 2025-26 player option.