Butler Addresses Meeting Rumors, Celtics, Lakers Interested, Windhorst Says

Minnesota Timberwolves star Jimmy Butler has reacted to speculation suggesting he rescheduled his meeting with head coach Tom Thibodeau to Tuesday in Los Angeles.

The Wolves small forward denied he had a meeting Tuesday and insisted as per schedule it will take place Wednesday. Talks of a meeting in LA has made way for speculation about his long-term future in the team.

The Express reported he was at loggerheads with his teammate Karl Anthony Towns and could be looking to leave the Wolves before the start of the new season. Butler will become a free agent next summer and if his relationship with his teammate does not improve it is almost certain he will walk away.

Butler will not be short of suitors if he decides to leave Wolves with the Los Angeles Lakers said to be big admirers. The report claimed Luke Walton’s side could look at putting together a trade to take the forward to the Staples Centre to team up with their newest recruit LeBron James.

The talk about a potential move to the Lakers gathered pace after rumors suggested he had scheduled a meeting with his coach Tuesday in Los Angeles, but the forward denied the speculation and confirmed it will take place Wednesday.

“Exactly why people need to stop believing what you see on the internet…,” Butler communicated via his official Twitter account. “I didn’t have no damn meeting today... its (sic) tomorrow.. I wonder what else people write and people believe hmmm…”

However, that will not stop the continued speculation about which team Butler was likely to join if or when he leaves the Wolves. And it could happen before the start of the upcoming campaign or in 2019.

ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes there will be at least four teams looking to sign the four-time All Star namely, the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, the Lakers and the LA Clippers.

The Lakers are looking to bring in another star name to partner James in order to get back into championship contention. They have missed out on the playoffs in the last five seasons.

The Celtics also have an advantage in their potential pursuit of Butler as he has previously stated his favorite player apart from himself is Kyrie Irving, who was currently going into his second season with the C’s.

“There are three teams that pop into my head. Knicks, Celtics and Lakers… and the Clippers,” Windhorst said on “The Jump,” as transcribed by the Express. “The Clippers are a team that’s going to be a player next summer. The Clippers may think we can sign him outright next summer.”

“The Kyrie Irving relationship. He’s very close to Kyrie Irving. Would the Celtics be interested there or would the Celtics just play it out. That would also be interesting if Jimmy Butler became available,” he added.