Wolves and Heat 2018-19 Win Totals Projections Moving in Opposite Directions

• Oddsmakers expect the Timberwolves to tumble following Jimmy Butler’s trade demand
• Can Minnesota still salvage its season and return to the playoffs?
• Will the Wolves cave into Butler’s demand and ship him off to the Heat?

Jimmy Butler is doing more than just disrupting Minnesota Timberwolves practices these days. He’s also disrupting NBA win totals.

The Wolves have experienced a four game drop off in win total projections since September 19th, when Butler first met with Minnesota head coach and president of basketball operations Tom Thibodeau to request a trade.

Minnesota Timberwolves Win Totals Projection Movement

The four-time All-Star expressed his unwillingness to commit to the Wolves long term during the tete-a-tete and provided Thibodeau with a list of preferred destinations that included the Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, and New York Knicks. All three franchises have the capacity to sign Butler to a five-year max deal when he becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer.

Butler later added the Heat to his list after the team expressed a keen interest in pursuing a trade.

The Miami HEAT and Minnesota Timberwolves had a deal in place for Jimmy Butler until Tom Thibodeau asked for more picks at the last minute.

Pat Riley reportedly yelled “MOTHERF***ER” and hung up, per @SedanoESPN

(h/t @opinionsondanba )

— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 11, 2018

Minnesota and Miami appeared to have the framework of a deal in place over the weekend, but trade talks fell apart at the 11th hour, prompting a visibly distraught Butler to return to the Twin Cities, where he called out management and ripped into his teammates in a now legendary practice.

You’ve seen all the tweets & the pull quotes but here is the full interview – @JimmyButler on why things went wrong with the Wolves, when he actually told Tom Thibodeau he wanted out (four days after the season ended), and yes…we’re talking about practice pic.twitter.com/7I2fMSEhQl

— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) October 11, 2018

Surprisingly, Butler’s scorched earth policy hasn’t dampened Miami’s enthusiasm for a deal. The club is reportedly eager to return to the table and hash out a trade before the season kicks off on October 16th.

The rumors swirling around Butler’s potential relocation to South Beach have had a profound impact on the Heat’s win totals. Miami is now projected to win an additional two games with the four-time All-Defensive Team member on their roster.

Miami Heat Win Totals Projection Movement

There’s little doubt that Butler would improve the Heat, but at this point there are no guarantees that he’s Miami-bound. Thibodeau has little interest in trading his star player and could easily keep him in the fold for the entire season.  It would likely lead to the league’s most toxic locker room (and a guaranteed case of PTSD for Andrew Wiggins), but it represents Minnesota’s best chance of returning to the playoffs.

Minnesota has also engaged the Rockets in trade talks, and could just as easily send Butler to Houston rather than Miami. The only hiccup in a potential deal is the inclusion of three-and-D specialist PJ Tucker, whom the Rockets seem to have mistaken for Bill Russell.

The uncertainty surrounding Butler makes the Heat and Wolves risky bets. We recommend waiting until his next destination has been determined and laying down your wager accordingly.

NBA win totals are available at most sportsbooks until Monday, October 15th.