The Minnesota Timberwolves received multiple "good" offers for Jimmy Butler, according to coach Tom Thibodeau.

Minnesota traded the 29-year-old star forward to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for a package centred around Dario Saric and Robert Covington.

Thibodeau, the Timberwolves coach and president of basketball operations, discussed the deal for the first time with reporters on Monday.

"We knew we had to be patient," Thibodeau said (via ESPN). "We felt we had a few offers that were good. Once we got the offers to the point where we felt good about what the offers were, we thought this was the best one for us.

"We knew we had to do what was best for the organisation … When we got a deal that we liked, we executed it."

Butler was selected by the Bulls with the 30th pick in the 2011 draft. He spent the first six seasons of his career in Chicago before he was dealt to the Timberwolves in June 2017.

But, Butler spent just one season with Minnesota before he asked to be moved in mid-September and missed most of the team's training camp. He returned for the start of the regular season and averaged 21.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 10 games before the trade.

"It's rare when you have the opportunity to get a top-10 player," Thibodeau said about acquiring Butler. "We knew there was risk involved with it. We saw the impact that he had last year – and it was important – and then we went to the next step."