Report: LeBron's arrival made Lakers less appealing to Butler

Jimmy Butler doesn't want to play second fiddle to The King in Hollywood.

The Los Angeles Lakers aren't one of Butler's three preferred destinations after the 29-year-old reportedly asked to be traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves earlier this week. That's because LeBron James' arrival to the Lakers this summer on a four-year contract made the franchise less appealing to Butler, who reportedly yearns to be the top option in a large market, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

It had been reported nearly a month ago that Butler wasn't ruling out the possibility of aligning with James in Los Angeles as an unrestricted free agent next summer.

This follows a recurring trend of elite-level talent seemingly shunning the notion of joining James in Los Angeles. Paul George didn't even grant the Lakers a meeting in free agency this offseason, even though they were the heavy favorites to land King James, and Kawhi Leonard seems to favor the Clippers over the Lakers should he depart Toronto in 2019.

Butler reportedly hopes to end up with the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, or Los Angeles Clippers instead. The All-Star wing rejected a four-year extension worth approximately $110 million from Minnesota back in July.

He met with Timberwolves president of basketball operations and head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday to discuss the state of the team and his future in Minnesota. The team won 47 games and qualified for the playoffs for the first time in 14 years last season, despite Butler being frustrated with the work ethic and attitudes of some of his younger teammates.