Jimmy Butler may get his desire to be traded fulfilled at some point this season and the awkwardness of the situation has created some uncomfortable moments for a team he helped reached the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

In the meantime, Butler and the Minnesota Timberwolves will try to get a win in their home opener Friday night with the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are playing their second game following the departure of LeBron James to the Los Angeles Lakers.

The saga with Butler began cropping up in July when he rejected a four-year contract extension that would have prevented him from reaching free agency next summer. On Sept. 19, he met with coach Tom Thibodeau and formally requested a trade and last week reports surfaced of a practice so heated the Butler was yelling at coaches and cursing at GM Scott Layden.