Jimmy Butler Trade Reports: Miami Heat Deal Falls as T-Wolves Push for More

Jimmy Butler with the USA team in 2016. Photo by Fernando Soutello/AGIF/REX/Shutterstock

The Miami Heats and the Minnesota Timberwolves failed to finalize a trade deal for Jimmy Butler at the last minute on Sunday.

The T-Wolves had already shared Butler’s medical records, details often given out at the last minute before a deal is concluded. Weeks before Sunday, Wolves’ owner Glen Taylor and his counterpart from South Beach, Micky Arison, had agreed on almost everything.

South Beach canceled the deal after Minnesota pushed for a new clause where Butler could return to the Wolves at some point after signing with the Heats. Butler is a 4-time All-Star player, and one of the league’s best players. In their part, the Heats were willing to trade point guard Josh Richardson for Butler, who was in his final year with the Wolves.

25-year-old Richardson is in his first season with the Heats on a four-year $42 million contract. He averaged 12.9 points last season, playing for 81 games. Butler has expressed interest in playing for the Heats, a team promising him a 5-year $190 million contract.

One of South Beach’s plans for sustaining Butler was to involve a third team that could potentially pay for his salary. By trading off guard Dion Waiters, the Heats were hopeful their plans could all go according to plan.

Of course, the two teams could resume the negotiations but it could mean resetting every deal agreed earlier on.