MINNEAPOLIS _ Tom Thibodeau smiled one of his quirky smiles and interrupted a question about all the noise his Timberwolves have dealt with this season.
"What noise?" he said.
Taj Gibson dealt with reality, head-on addressing the Jimmy Butler trade demand, the subsequent messy fallout and the eventual sending of the four-time All-Star to the 76ers for Dario Saric and Robert Covington.
"It's always a distraction when you have things like that," Gibson said. "When you have to deal with trade rumors, it always makes the locker room a little uneasy."
Gibson's relationship with Butler transcends a trade.
"He texted me two nights ago. We're still in contact," Gibson said. "That's like family so I'm always going to be on his side. I wish him well. He's happy. He's playing well. He's in a good situation for himself."
Thibodeau eventually addressed the Butler situation.
"That's the NBA," he said. "Just be mentally tough through adversity. Everybody has it. Deal with it. Move forward."
