Klay Thompson Curious About Butler Trade, Picks Warriors Over LeBron Union

Klay Thompson revealed he is as curious as anybody else to see which team Jimmy Butler joins before the start of the new NBA season, which is just over 15 days away.

The Minnesota Timberwolves small forward has requested a trade from his current employers and it is being reported they have received a number of offers from interested franchises. The Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Miami Heat are supposedly keen on acquiring Butler’s services, but the Wolves’ steep demands are said to be holding up a potential trade.

Butler joined the Minnesota franchise in the summer of 2017 and averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists. He played a huge role in helping the Wolves make the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

The forward is one of the best players in the league, and it is believed that his preferred destination is the Heat, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. However, the Wolves’ demands for quality veterans, top prospects and salary-cap relief is putting off interested teams.

Thompson, who has also been subject to questions about his future in recent weeks, revealed even he was curious to see where his Olympic gold medal winning USA teammate will move. The Golden State Warriors shooting guard is certain that any team Butler joins would immediately become a championship contender.

“I’m just curious to see where he goes because he’s such a great player,” Thompson said, via ESPN’s Nick Friedell. “He can really elevate a team to championship contention. And it’s unfortunate it didn’t work out in Minnesota but Jimmy’s one of the best players in this league so — I know some team’s going to be lucky to get him.”

The Warriors guard, meanwhile, also addressed his future as he will be able to enter free agency in 2019. There has been lot of speculation about a potential switch with the Lakers being touted as a potential destination ahead of next season.

Thompson, however, has made it clear that he is keen to remain a Warrior for the foreseeable future and revealed that it is exciting to be part of the current group, who have won back-to-back NBA titles and are favorite to make it three in a row.

"It's awesome," Thompson said after Thursday's practice, as per ESPN. "Makes you want to win now, though, that's for sure. Makes you want to make the most of it. I think we have in the last two years.”

"It's crazy because we are back-to-back champs, but at the same time I feel like we're all relatively young and we can still get to another level and keep winning. Not just this year, but years beyond. Not a lot of guys can do that with their team. So I love coming to work every day because I realize this is a special group and a special time to be a Warrior."

Thompson admitted it would be difficult to think about leaving a team he has been part of since they began dominating the league in 2015. He reiterated that it will surely be a factor when he considers the next course of action for his future in 2019.

“Yeah, definitely," Thompson said. "I think it would be stupid not to be. It's hard to walk away from something -- you were here when it started and yeah, you just want to stay on the train as long as you can."