Kevin Garnett never has been one to mince words.
The Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics legend was known for his fiery personality, competitiveness, foul mouth and occasional confrontation with a teammate who wasn’t giving it his all.
In the wake of Jimmy Butler’s recent trade demand, practice outburst and ESPN interview, Garnett was asked by The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski for his take on the current situation with his former team.
The Big Ticket never disappoints.
“I’m a T-Wolf for life, man,” Garnett told The Athletic. “I’m ‘Sota for life. I’ve always wanted better for not only the city and the franchise, but (Andrew Wiggins), (Karl-Anthony Towns) those are my guys. I root for those guys. Gorgui Dieng. Those are my guys. I’m just hoping they can get through this rough patch and everybody can get on the same patch and figure it out. It’s a shit storm up there.”
Butler demanded a trade prior to training camp, and made the fight public with his practice outburst after talks between Minnesota and the Miami Heat reportedly broke down because head coach and president Tom Thibodeau was asking for too much in return for Butler.
Garnett doesn’t know if Butler has the cache to force a deal the way other marquee stars do.
“I think both sides are a little delusional,” Garnett said. “I think Jimmy thinks his worth is a little more than what it is. He’s a very good player. I don’t see him on the (Kevin Durant) and LeBron (James) level. But if they are A-plus, he’s definitely A, A-minus.
“I don’t know if he had the power to come out and force a trade like this. He can be disruptive, but I don’t know if he actually had the clout to come out and do that. I don’t know if Jimmy has enough juice to be that.”
Butler undoubtedly is a top-20 NBA player. But with just one year remaining on his current contract, it’s unlikely the ‘Wolves will be able to get the haul they reportedly are seeking in exchange for the star swingman. Of course, there’s always a chance the Houston Rockets give into Minnesota’s demands in order to try to level the playing field with the Golden State Warriors.
