The great NBA soap opera of 2018 was nearing its end, but there was one more plot twist to go before the finale.



After nearly two months of uncertainty, Jimmy Butler had come out of the Timberwolves’ loss on Wednesday night to the Los Angeles Lakers with a new plan. After sitting out two games in a five-game stretch to “rest,” many expected him not to play on Friday night in Sacramento, the last of a five-game road trip. His approach was aimed at reducing his chances of getting injured before being granted the trade he so desperately wanted and also underscoring his message that his desire to be moved was unchanged. The Timberwolves had gone 0 for 4 to that point on their road trip, and Butler’s minutes were through the roof. So he went into the Kings game having reached something of a breaking point.



Butler decided he would play on Friday night, but he viewed it as the fork in the road. If the Timberwolves didn’t find a deal to fulfill...