Jimmy Butler reportedly requested a trade from Minnesota on Sept. 18.
It's been over three weeks now, and the Wolves still haven't shipped him out of town.
Perhaps Minnesota hasn't been able to find a partner because the asking price is too high. Enter the Houston Rockets:
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SIGN UP HERE Should Houston make that deal? Butler is a star, but losing Gordon and Tucker would be a pretty large blow to the Rockets' depth.
Also, Gordon is under contract in 2019-20 at just over $14 million and Tucker is on a very team-friendly deal through 2020-21 (about $8 million annually). Butler, meanwhile, will be an unrestricted free agent next summer and Houston would need assurance that he will re-sign long term.
The crazy thing about the Butler situation is that he may end up suiting up for the Wolves in their season opener, despite the fact that he hasn't been with the team at all for weeks.
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From The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski:
The chaotic nature of the talks in general have resulted in the market cooling for the moment. That can all change with one phone call, but the Timberwolves are moving forward as if there will be no deal before the start of the season. Thibodeau has started reaching out to players on the team to prepare them for the prospects of a deal taking place during the season, not before, sources said.
Good luck with that, Minnesota. I'm sure that won't be awkward at all...
Drew Shiller is the co-host of Warriors Outsiders. Follow him on Twitter @DrewShiller