The Whiteboard: The Timberwolves need Jimmy Butler more than he needs them

The Minnesota Timberwolves really need Jimmy Butler, and losing him would be a serious blow to the franchise.

Jimmy Butler has just one guaranteed year left in his deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and it seems as though there’s a chance he could be with the franchise for even less time. According to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski, Butler will meet with Minnesota’s brass to talk about some things.

Anybody who has ever been dumped before probably shuddered in fear at the thought of being asked to have “honest conversations about the … future” with someone important in your life.

The Timberwolves have to pull a Harry Houdini and duck their way out of this potential breakup, and quickly. Minnesota needs Jimmy Butler more than he needs the Timberwolves .

In the modern NBA, multiple stars are necessary for title contention. Minnesota has two right now: Butler and Karl-Anthony Towns. Andrew Wiggins gets paid like a star, but he does not perform like one, which is a big problem for the Wolves. In part due to Wiggins’ mega-deal, Minnesota can’t really replace Butler if he leaves.

Let’s assume Butler either gets traded for no salary past the 2018-19 NBA season, or he plays out the season in Minnesota then leaves in free agency. Even if the Timberwolves renounce the rights to Taj Gibson, Anthony Tolliver and Tyus Jones, they still won’t have max cap room next summer, assuming Towns gets a max deal. If he doesn’t, something much worse has already happened and the Wolves’ cap situation becomes unimportant.

Minnesota’s lack of fluid cap space means the Wolves need to either keep Butler, or to trade him for a player of similar stature. That might not be feasible. There are roughly 10-15 players in the NBA better than Butler is. Most of the ones who are clearly better aren’t getting traded for anybody.

This is why the Wolves need Jimmy Butler more than Jimmy Butler needs the Wolves. It’s hard to imagine a scenario where they become more competitive than they are right now without him. Butler, on the other hand, could join any number of teams in either conference and make them much better from the jump.

The list of two-way wings better than Butler is is short, and there’s nothing saying he couldn’t team up with another one of them to form a dynamic duo. If Butler forces his way out, there’s a strong chance his new team ends up better than the Timberwolves for his stay at his new home.

Minnesota’s front office needs to figure this one out, and do whatever it takes to appease both Towns and Butler. Towns is the chief concern and should be prioritized, but both players are necessary for the Timberwolves to live up to their potential as a franchise over the next few seasons.

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