After initially resisting the idea of trading Jimmy Butler following his trade request, Tom Thibodeau is now prepared to honor his request.

"Our reality is that he has requested a trade, so we'll honor that," Thibodeau said. "But we're not just going to make any deal. ... Our conversations (between Butler and Thibodeau) will remain private. He requested a trade and we're going to honor his request. But we're not going to do anything that's bad for the Timberwolves. We're going to do what's good for the Timberwolves. We have to prioritize that. That's what our job is."

Butler will be a free agent in 2019, which limits Minnesota's leverage.

While Thibodeau will attempt to trade Butler, he expects Butler to honor his contract once he's healthy if he remains with Minnesota.

"He's under contract," Thibodeau said. "Who knows? It's a pretty fluid situation. We're always going to do what's best for the Timberwolves. We're going to prioritize that."