The question most of us were asking ourselves during the Jimmy Butler saga in Minnesota was pretty simple.
When is this going to end?
Things finally relented on Saturday as the Minnesota Timberwolves decided to trade Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for Robert Covington and Dario Saric.
Everyone in Philadelphia seems ready to embrace Butler as a third star. Meanwhile, there is no doubt that the Timberwolves will be happy to have the headache of Butler gone.
Of course, the question still remains why this took so long to happen. Butler’s trade desires were known early in the season, and his actions were such that they never seemed reconcilable from an exterior view.
According to multiple reports, it took Minnesota going 0-5 on a recent road trip for coach Tom Thibodeau to finally relent and help trade Butler once and for all.
Via Twitter:
After an 0-5 trip, the Wolves finally decided they had to make a move. Talks picked up this morning and a deal was finalized. They simply couldn’t hold out any longer
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) November 10, 2018
After winless 5-game road trip that ended with loss Sacramento on Friday night, Tom Thibodeau had come to realization that the Wolves couldn't win with Butler in this dysfunctional environment, sources said. He told associates that Minny wouldn't play another game with Butler.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 10, 2018
It can be extremely hard for any person to judge a situation correctly when they are so deep into it, and when the relationships involved run the length of many years it can help complicate things. No doubt that was a situation that Thibodeau was in with Butler, who he coached as a youngster back with the Chicago Bulls.
The trade still needs to be finalized early this coming week, but hopefully this is the last we hear about Butler aggrandizing the Wolves.