Report: Heat nearly finalized deal for Jimmy Butler, but it fell apart at the last second
The Miami Heat came extremely close to announcing a new player over the weekend. The team reportedly almost finalizing a deal for Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler, but things fell apart, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The two sides got pretty deep into the process before things went awry. Minnesota shared Butler’s medicals with Miami and both team owners were involved. The Timberwolves reportedly asked for more, and that’s what caused the Heat to back out of the deal.
While the two sides can reconnect in the future, the failed trade opens up the market for other teams to get involved for Butler, according to Wojnarowski. Other teams were hesitant to engage the Timberwolves in trade talks because there was an assumption Butler would wind up with Miami. Now that the deal fell through, other teams could see it as an opportunity to get involved.
The 29-year-old Butler requested a trade in the offseason, and the Timberwolves seem determined to get something done. Butler can opt-out of his contract at the end of the season and become a free agent. He declined a four-year, $110 million extension with the Timberwolves in the offseason, making it clear he wants to hit the market.
Butler made the All-Star team for his fourth-straight season last year. He averaged 22.2 points and 4.9 assists.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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