Jimmy Butler to have a meeting with Tom Thibodeau to discuss future of Timberwolves

Jimmy Butler and his agent Bernie Lee will have a meeting with Timberwolves head coach Tom Thibodeau to discuss the future of the franchise on Monday.

Butler is entering the final year of his contract and will be unrestricted free agent from July 1, 2019.

Per ESPN, A meeting set between Minnesota Timberwolves four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler and president of basketball operations/coach Tom Thibodeau is expected to set the tone for Butler’s final season under contract — and his impending free agency in July, league sources told ESPN on Saturday. Just days before the start of training camp in Minneapolis, Butler and his agent, Bernie Lee, are planning to meet with Thibodeau on Monday in Minneapolis for what’s expected to be a serious conversation on the franchise’s fragile state, sources said.

The Thibodeau-Butler relationship has been largely strong since the Bulls drafted Butler in 2011, but Butler’s partnership with young star Karl-Anthony Towns has been strained and remains an obstacle to the 2018-19 team’s success — and perhaps the ability to sign Butler to a new contract next summer, league sources said.