Minnesota turn down Houston's offer for Jimmy Butler

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After the Houston Rockets came up with a tempting offer of four future first-round draft picks to make a trade for Jimmy Butler, the Minnesota Timberwolves made the unexpected decision to turn down the offer, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Charania said that the Rockets wanted to put two injured players, Brandon Knight and Marquese Chriss, into the deal but the Timberwolves are "showing no inclination to move on Houston offer."

Tom Thibodeau, head coach of the Timberwolves, keeps turning down offers for Jimmy Butler without making clear what he is after. /VCG Photo

Meanwhile, Lefty Leif of 5 Reasons Sports reported that Minnesota reopened their negotiation with the Miami Heat over Butler, though just one week ago, the deal failed to pass as the Timberwolves again raised the price. Back then the Heat was willing to send Josh Richardson, Dion Waiters a protected first-round pick to trade for Butler.

Clutch Points said that Miami replaced Waiters with their center Kelly Olynyk in their latest offer but were turned down by Minnesota's head coach Tom Thibodeau. However, this trade drama did not end there as Minneapolis Star Tribune said that the Timberwolves' owner Glen Taylor already asked Thibodeau to stay away from Butler's trade talks and focus on his coaching duties.

Glen Taylor, owner of the Timberwolves, keeps saying that the team are willing to send Butler away yet does not behave like that. /VCG Photo

The current situation over Butler's trade is very confusing. Coach Thibodeau did not make it clear what he was after in any possible deal, and even though The Heat offered quality role players that could contribute to the team immediately, they still received a no. The Rockets bid draft picks which represent future hopes but still did not pass. Actually one would not be surprised if Thibodeau's still trying to convince Butler to change his mind. Nonetheless, the team's owner Taylor from the beginning was keen to send Butler away but he did not act so determined.

Thanks to Minnesota management's actions, it grows increasingly unclear where Butler will go next. /VCG Photo

The Rockets have renewed their bid for Butler by offering four future first-round draft picks among other assets, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Timberwolves have not stopped fielding calls from teams interested in Butler since the 29-year-old wingman made it more than clear that he wanted to leave Minnesota. The Rockets were once very close to completing the deal as they were willing to put their No. 3 scorer, Eric Gordon, into the package before the Timberwolves raised their terms.

The Rockets were close to putting Eric Gordon in the deal to acquire Jimmy Butler from the Timberwolves. /VCG Photo

Apparently Houston did not want to miss the opportunity to put another top 20 NBA player on their roster and thus came up with the latest offer, which should also show their sincerity. The NBA does not allow a team to send first-round draft picks in successive years or trade picks further out than seven seasons, meaning that four is the maximum number of picks that the Rockets can offer.

It remains unclear which players will be part of the possible deal. ESPN's Zach Lowe said that it may happen around October 31, which marks two months after the Rockets acquired Brandon Knight and Marquese Chriss from the Phoenix Suns. After that point, Houston will be able to use their contracts for trade.

After October 31, Houston will be able to put the contracts of Brandon Knight (L) and Marquese Chriss (R) into trade. /VCG Photo

It's understandable that the Rockets are willing to bet this much. Having played four games in the 2018-19 season, the team lost three of them and won a close game against the Lakers. Without Trevor Ariza and assistant coach Jeff Bzdelik, Houston saw their defense again full of problems as they gave up 115.25 points per game. If the Rockets aim to defeat the Golden State Warriors, they will need to drastically shore up their defense.

Butler is one of the best choices for the Rockets. Having been selected with a low pick in the draft, he built his reputation with tough defense. Meanwhile, Butler is also a reliable man on offense, accounting for 24.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.5 assists in his first four games this season. His size and strength also mean that he can fit Houston's small-ball squad during key moments of the game.

Butler has proven himself as a reliable player on both offense and defense. /VCG Photo

However, giving up four first-round picks is still a risk, even for a player of Butler's caliber. Draft picks, especially future first-rounders are currently the most valuable assets for any team because even with the unpredictability accompanied, draft picks represent the future. It's true that the chances are small, to say the least, but you never know whether the next Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Donovan Mitchell, or even LeBron James is coming in the next draft class. Keeping a high draft pick in your pocket will always mean a hopeful future.

Besides, no team should forget what happened after the last time a team put multiple future first-rounders into a deal to exchange for veteran players. The Brooklyn Nets in the summer of 2013 sent Kris Humphries, Gerald Wallace, Kris Joseph, Keith Bogans, Marshon Brooks, three first-round picks (2014, 2016, 2018) and the right to switch picks in 2017 to the Celtics in exchange for Kevin Garnet, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and DJ White.

The Nets paid a painful price for their trade for Paul Pierce (L) and Kevin Garnet (R). /VCG Photo

Instead of getting closer to a championship, Brooklyn has fallen into an abyss ever since. They present a perfect example of a team with heavy losses and no draft picks for multiple seasons, while Boston rebuilt their squad with the draft picks Brooklyn forfeited.

Teams in the modern era attempting to build a "Big Four" through trades have failed miserably. The Los Angeles Lakers tried twice in 2004 and 2013 and failed in both cases, which led to years of rebuilding. Piling star players was never the way to success in the NBA.

The Lakers in 2004 added Gary Payton (1st R) and Karl Malone (2nd L) to their franchise to create a "Big Four," which turned out to be a failure. /VCG Photo

Though the Rockets are a much different team than the 2013 Nets, it may not be a smart choice to bet their future on this trade. Their general manager, Daryl Morey, has been known for making calculations and finding valuable role players with low-ranking picks, not showing his hand at the poker table.