SAN ANTONIO — Over four weeks since requesting a trade face-to-face with his longtime head coach Tom Thibodeau, Jimmy Butler sat in the Timberwolves’ locker room on Wednesday night signing a pair of shoes for a Timberwolves staffer’s child. Since that trade request, he’s had multiple in-person meetings with Thibodeau as well as phone and in-person conversations with owner Glen Taylor informing him of his desire to leave Minnesota. Then came an impactful return to the team last week, culminating in him leading a players-only meeting Thursday.



Butler wore his Timberwolves jersey once more, a sight many believed they would not see again, and admitted his rust in going nine of 23 from the floor for his 23 points. The Timberwolves fell to the San Antonio Spurs in their regular-season opener ahead of their first home game of the season on Friday against Cleveland.



Butler has returned to the Timberwolves to play with the understanding from Taylor that...