Jimmy Butler says he ‘couldn’t be happier’ with trade to Minnesota

It turns out that Jimmy Butler wasn’t lying when he said he removed the rearview mirror from his car so that he would never look back.

In an interview with Vice’s Michael Pena that was published on Monday, Butler discussed his previous situation with the Chicago Bulls while looking ahead to his future with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“I’m confrontational,” said Butler. “I feed off of confrontation. It makes me go. Not everybody’s like that. [Fred Hoiberg] is not that coach, and there’s nothing wrong with that. There are different coaching styles and people are gonna say—which is what they did say—’It’s gonna be Jimmy’s team or it’s gonna be Fred’s team.’ Two total opposite ends of the spectrum.

“They’re either gonna try to win it now or they’re gonna go young,” he added. “And you see which way they went. Completely fine. It’s y’all’s business, y’all’s organization. It’s cool. And now I’m in Minnesota and couldn’t be happier.”

The three-time All-Star Butler, who was traded by the Bulls to Minnesota in June, was trapped in what was, by all accounts, a toxic situation in Chicago. But he is now reunited with his former head coach Tom Thibodeau on a Timberwolves team with a real path to long-term contention, so it’s easy to see why Butler is pleased with the change of scenery.