Butler has requested a trade but said he will play to his full ability until that trade is madeNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
T'Wolves Owner Glen Taylor said that the recent drama surrounding F Jimmy Butler and his trade demand has "not made him consider selling the club," according to Sid Hartman of the Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE. Taylor said, “We will get through this. I’ll just keep working and doing the best I can on it to keep our team very competitive.” While he said that he "hasn’t seen any adverse effect on ticket sales," Taylor realizes that this is a "delicate situation for the franchise." He noted most season tickets are "already sold" and a lot of fans are "concerned as to how this will affect the team." Taylor: "I understand that. That is why if we’re going to do a trade, it’s important that we do a trade that helps our team and keeps us competitive." Hartman notes Butler "met with Taylor this week, and they reached an agreement" that Taylor and the team "will continue trying to trade him." Taylor said that Butler "told him he will play to his full ability, as he did last year when he was healthy, and go all out until that trade is made" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 10/17). TNT analyst and longtime T'Wolves player Kevin Garnett said Taylor "knows how to make money," but he "doesn't know shit about basketball." He added Taylor does not have the "best basketball mind." Butler and the other players on the team need to "sit down and be men" and "iron this out." But if Butler has an issue with the front office, he "should go upstairs and keep it upstairs and not bring some of this other stuff to the court" ("NBA Tip-Off," TNT, 10/16).
