Report: Jimmy Butler never wanted to be traded to Knicks

Before Jimmy Butler was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, there were reports that he gave the Minnesota Timberwolves a list of preferred destinations. The Sixers were not among the teams, but Butler insists he is happy he ended up where he did.

With the 76ers set to take on the Knicks on Wednesday night, Butler was asked if Madison Square Garden is where he wanted to end up. He didn’t deny it, but he insisted he is enjoying his time in Philly.

“I don’t know, and to tell you the truth, I don’t even talk about the trade no more, because I’m here, and I’m loving it here,” Butler said, via Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Daily News. “All of that is in the past. So I leave it just there.”

For what it’s worth, Pompey was told by a source that Butler never had interest in joining the Knicks. There were rumblings about him wanting to play with Kyrie Irving in New York, but Irving recently announced his intention to re-sign with the Boston Celtics after the season.

The other teams on Butler’s reported list of preferred destinations made it seem like he wanted to play in a big market, and Philly is certainly that even if it’s not New York. Butler has said he wants to win, and the Sixers are set up to do that in the coming years. If that’s what is most important to him, he should have no reservations about signing a long-term contract.