Jimmy Butler on facing the Wolves: 'I'm wondering about my coffee machine'

Butler dodged any talk about his return to Minnesota by focusing on his coffee machine.

May 2, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Jimmy Butler III (10) gives a thumbs up signal before a play against the Houston Rockets in the third quarter of game six of the first round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Jimmy Butler is going to need his coffee — and maybe a lot of it — to recharge for a series against the Minnesota Timberwolves starting Tuesday night, less than 48 hours after the Golden State Warriors advanced with a Game 7 win over the Houston Rockets.

How is Butler feeling about returning to Minnesota?

"Honestly, I got until like midnight to enjoy this win so that's what I'm going to do," Butler said Sunday night. "Then I'll focus on Minnesota after midnight. I'm wondering about how I'm going to get my coffee machine to Minnesota and how I'm going to get my kids there."

Butler spent the 2017-18 season and the beginning of 2018-19 before he essentially forced his way out of Minnesota in a trade that sent him to the Philadelphia 76ers. After one season in Philly and five-plus seasons with the Miami Heat, Butler has spent the past few months with the Warriors — and the showdown against the Timberwolves will be filled with vitriolic storylines.

Butler hasn't played a game at Target Center in more than 1,250 days, lasting having suited up for the Heat in a game in Minnesota on Nov. 24, 2021. In late October 2023, Butler was dressed in street clothes watching the Heat get smoked by the Timberwolves when the fans inside Target Center began a "Where's Jimmy?" chant. Butler responded by blowing a kiss to the crowd.

While the Wolves are favored to win the series, the Warriors are 28-9 with Butler in the lineup. That winning rate pro-rated to an 82-game season would produce a 62-win campaign. They're scary-good because of how they play defense and shoot the ball, but the Timberwolves are deeper and will have a significant size advantage.

The good news is that Minnesota basketball fans won't need as much coffee as they did for the series against the Lakers. Though the start times for Games 5 and 6 haven't been announced, the latest known tip time for Wolves-Warriors is 9 p.m. CT when Game 4 is played in San Francisco.

Game 1 gets going just after 8:30 p.m. CT on Tuesday — and Jimmy Butler will be there.