The Miami Heat and Minnesota Timberwolves have been trying to strike a deal centered around Jimmy Butler for weeks, following the All-Star guards demand to be traded. The two teams were reportedly very close to completing a trade last week, but proposed changes from Minnesota created a "breakdown” in negotiations, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times.
ESPN's Jorge Sedano recently revealed some details of how the trade fell part, including an interesting bit about Pat Riley calling Tom Thibodeau a motherfucker before hanging up on the Wolves' head coach and President of Basketball Operations.
Sedano says (H/T Deadspin):
"There’s been a couple of different incarnations of this deal. The first one, the Heat didn’t want to take back Gorgui Dieng. Then, the next incarnation of the deal was ‘OK forget it, let’s just do it straight up, just for Jimmy on your end.’ They finally relented on Josh Richardson, they were giving them Josh Richardson, then Dion Waiters was going to be the cap filler, and then a protected first-round pick. The medicals were exchanged, which generally in the NBA means this is a done deal. And then, Thibs called back and wanted more picks. And Pat Riley literally—I was told—called him a motherbleeper and hung up the phone."
Meanwhile, Butler has rejoined his teammates in Minnesota as the start of the 2018-19 NBA season is just one week away. The Timberwolves will open up the season on the road in San Antonio next Wednesday, October 17.
