If the Philadelphia 76ers trade for Jimmy Butler, who should they avoid including in a potential package?
All summer, there have been reports of tension building in the Minnesota Timberwolves locker room. That might boil over soon, with Tom Thibodeau, Jimmy Butler and his representation meeting just days before training camp, according to The Athletic’s Jon Krawczynski.
Butler is entering the final year of his contract and doesn’t seem happy with teammate Karl-Anthony Towns. If there is discord between Butler and his younger teammates, the Wolves might look to trade the veteran superstar before the deadline.
If that’s the case, the Philadelphia 76ers will naturally be in the conversation. Butler is a perfect fit on paper and, extension or not, could move the Sixers substantially closer to Boston and Toronto atop the Eastern Conference.
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There are some concerns given Butler’s insane workload, which could lead to injuries and an increased rate of decline in future seasons. Also, if he’s upset with Towns’ nonchalant attitude, there’s no telling if he’d view Embiid’s antics more favorably.
Moving the needle in a competitive Eastern Conference could be worth it, though, and the Sixers should be entrenched in trade talks if Butler hits the open market. With that said, there should be some players who are definitively off the table. Some obvious, and some less so.
Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, of course, are no-brainers. Just 24 and 22 years old, respectively, both of them profile as perennial All-Stars moving forward. Embiid is better than Butler currently, while Simmons’ ceiling far higher than Butler, who’s currently 29.
On talent alone, Embiid and Simmons should keep the Sixers competitive for the foreseeable future. Trading for Butler doesn’t move the needle much at all if it means losing one of them, neither short term nor long term.
Butler’s contract situation means the Sixers should be hesitant to deal their other young pieces as well. For that reason alone, Markelle Fultz should be firmly off the table as well. He’s too talented, with too much importance to the Sixers’ future, to give up on at this point.
There’s no guarantee that Fultz ever shoots the ball like he did at Washington, but that doesn’t take away from his ability to make a positive impact on winning. His ball handling and passing chops are valuable relief valves for Ben Simmons, while his defensive upside was on full display in 14 regular season games.
While there are more surefire contributors, Fultz should be valued as the Sixers’ third-most important asset right now. Trading him for Jimmy Butler could turn into a sizable mistake.
The other names who enter this conversation are Dario Saric and Zhaire Smith, although neither should be off the table entirely. It’s likely that the Sixers would need to deal one of them to nab Butler, but packaging both together would be a steep price to pay.
Saric has proven himself as a top-60 player, operating as the Sixers’ glue guy in the frontcourt. His skill set isn’t maximized on the Sixers’ current roster, but he’s a plus shooter, creative passer and talented post scorer. All that, and he puts full effort into rebounding and defense, even if the latter lags behind at times.
If he stays with the Sixers, Saric is due for an extension in 2020 — one that would be well-deserved. Giving him up would be tough, but reasonable. Just don’t add too much to that package.
Zhaire is a less-proven asset, which probably makes him the ideal trade asset. His perimeter defense and athleticism are tantalizing, but giving him up for a season (or half season)-long pitch to Jimmy Butler would be worthwhile.
Robert Covington or Wilson Chandler would need to be included for salary reasons. Covington is probably the Sixers’ best player outside Embiid and Simmons, but dangling Saric might allow the Sixers to keep him.
J.J. Redick is on the table as well, although his floor spacing is something Brett Brown likely covets. He would be the middle ground between Covington and Chandler in terms of trade value.
Draft capital, inevitably, would play a big role in this trade. In order to keep their core in tact, the Sixers would need to part with one or two first-round picks. Miami’s unprotected 2021 first-rounder, which the Sixers received in the Zhaire Smith trade on draft night, would probably be in the cards.
Simply put: Embiid, Simmons and Fultz are off the table. Saric would need to be the focal point of his offer, with Wilson Chandler (not Robert Covington) being used as salary filler.
Generally speaking, adding an arguable top-10 talent is worth the risk. Butler might make the Sixers favorites in the East, although the Celtics and Raptors would still have strong arguments. But his potential for a rapid decline (thanks, Thibs) and persistent locker room concerns hurt his value.
He would be a risk for a team like Philadelphia, who is set to compete for the foreseeable future without Butler on the roster. Brett Brown and the collaborative front office should be hesitant to make any mega-offers.