Timberwolves were uncomfortable with Jimmy Butler being the "toughest" guy on the team

Jimmy Butler, 31, has arguably been the best player for Miami Heat this season. The former Chicago Bulls star made it past the second round in the NBA playoffs for the first time in his career, leading the Heat from the front to their sixth Eastern Conference title. While Miami's quest for their fourth NBA championship is still on, their 31-year-old guard has surely delivered what was expected of him in his debut campaign in South Beach.

Jimmy Butler, who is known for his relentless attitude on the court, is largely benefiting from the NBA bubble as Miami Heat have been one of the standout teams in Orlando. However, Butler's relentless attitude is reportedly the reason why the Minnesota Timberwolves let him go after just one season in 2018. 

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Timberwolves traded Butler after just one season

Jimmy Butler, who started his NBA career with the Bulls, was traded to the Timberwolves in 2017 in a deal that saw Zach LaVine move the other way. In his debut campaign with Minnesota, Butler led his team to their first playoffs appearance since the 2003-04 season - in which the Timberwolves won their only division title. 

Despite his stellar debut season, Butler was traded next season to the Philadelphia 76ers. Butler, alongside Justin Patton, headed to the 76ers in exchange for Jerryd Bayless, Robert Covington, Dario Šarić and a 2022 second-round draft pick. 

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According to The Athletic, Butler was gone after just one season in Minnesota since a lot of people on the team were "uncomfortable" with him wanting to be "the toughest moth*******r" in the room. The report shares an incident where Butler led the Timberwolves' third team to a win against the starters in a scrimmage at practice.

"Jimmy didn’t need to lead by scoring that day,” a team source said about that practice. “He wanted to lead by being the toughest MFer in the room. He put on a show and it was uncomfortable for a lot of people," The Athletic report said.

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Jimmy Butler enjoyed another decent season with the Philadelphia 76ers, reaching the Eastern Conference semi-finals - the 76ers' lost 4-3 to Toronto Raptors. During the 2019 offseason, he was traded to the Miami Heat, where he once again established himself as one the best on the team. With the likes of Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo alongside, Butler led the Heat to a 12-4 postseason record. Miami Heat lost Game 1 of the NBA Finals 116-98 to the Lakers. The two side will meet in Game 2 of the series on Friday, October 2.

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(Image Credits: Jimmy Butler Instagram)