Jimmy Butler is set to meet with the Minnesota Timberwolves this week to discuss his future with the team. The 29-year-old will hit free agency next summer and is "seriously contemplating" his future, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.There are reportedly growing tensions between Butler and some of the team's young players and it appears unlikely that he'll re-sign with the T-Wolves. He's already turned down an extension this summer and there's a risk that he could walk for nothing. The outcome of the meeting will be crucial as the franchise will have to decide whether to take that gamble and keep him for the entire season or trade him. If they do decide to offload him and get something in return, he'll certainly have a lot of suitors.
Here are three potential trade destinations for Butler:
Los Angeles Lakers
The purple and gold are desperate to return to the playoffs this season and adding another star to play with LeBron James will increase their chances of doing that.
With just a year left on the shooting guard's deal in Minnesota, the Lakers won't have to give up too much.
But any deal would have to include one or two of their young players such as Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart.
They could also throw in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who's only on a one-year deal.
But it'll be interesting to see if L.A. will be willing to part with their young assets with a risk that Butler may not re-sign in the summer.
New York Knicks
The Knicks are one of the teams looking to pursue the four-time All-Star in free agency next year but they may look to acquire him in a trade and attempt to sell him on the franchise now.
A trade package including the likes of Frank Ntilikina, Courtney Lee or even Kevin Knox may be attractive to the Timberwolves.
With Kristaps Porzingis set to miss most of the season, they'll need another star to come in and take the reigns and Butler fits the bill.
They can play it safe and wait until the offseason but they're likely to face stiff competition for his signature.
If they can gain an advantage by bringing him on board early, they should go for it.
Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers were desperate to land a star this summer but missed out on a big-name free agent and failed to conclude a deal with the Spurs for Kawhi Leonard.
Therefore, a trade for the former Chicago Bulls man makes sense for them.
They have the assets to make it happen as they could include Dario Saric, Robert Covington or even throw in Markelle Fultz.
Adding Butler to their extremely talented duo of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons would elevate their chances of winning the east.
His leadership and ability to play on both ends of the floor would be invaluable to the young 76ers and they'd have one of the best big threes in the league.
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