Jimmy Butler practices, has heated exchanges with Wolves

3:36 PM ET

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  Adrian WojnarowskiESPN

All-Star Jimmy Butler participated in the Minnesota Timberwolves' practice on Wednesday, a session that included him verbally challenging teammates, coaches and front office executives, league sources told ESPN.

Butler was vociferous and emotional at times, targeting president/coach Tom Thibodeau, general manager Scott Layden and teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, league sources said. He had not practiced with the team so far this season after requesting a trade three weeks ago.

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  The Heat are interested in rekindling trade talks with the Timberwolves for Jimmy Butler, but he practiced with the Timberwolves Wednesday, sources told ESPN.

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Butler participated in drills and scrimmaged with Timberwolves, sources said.

At one point in a scrimmage, sources said, Butler turned to Layden and screamed: "You f---ing need me. You can't win without me." Butler left teammates and coaches largely speechless.

The practice comes after sources said that the Heat were still pressing for a trade to acquire Butler.

A proposed deal between the Heat and Wolves fell apart over the weekend, but there has been hope among the Minnesota front office, coaching staff and some teammates that Butler would rejoin the team.

At times, Butler has been working out away from the team at the facility since his trade request three weeks ago. He was with his teammates in the locker room at the team's practice facility Wednesday morning, league sources said.

A couple of Butler's teammates were particularly vague when asked about Butler's level of participation in practice on Wednesday.

Anthony Tolliver, who's been on nine teams in 10 seasons, said that he's never witnessed anything quite like the Butler situation during his time in the league, but he insisted that it's not a distraction for him.

"If he's around, then he'll play. If he's not, then he won't. I think that we have guys here that if he's not here, we can play with. And we have enough talent to go win some games," Tolliver said.

Information from ESPN's Chris Herring was used in this report.

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