Philadelphia 76ers: What the rotation should look like with Jimmy Butler

The Philadelphia 76ers traded for Jimmy Butler. What does that mean for Brett Brown’s rotations.

Sitting at 8-6 on the season, the Philadelphia 76ers are beginning to turn the corner. Joel Embiid is playing like an MVP, Ben Simmons is putting up All-Star caliber numbers, and Jimmy Butler will (probably) make his debut on Wednesday.

While the trade was controversial, it’s a risk worth taking. Butler is a top-15 NBA player who drastically raises the Sixers’ ceiling. His shot creation, defense and effort level will all benefit the team.

Not losing any long-term draft capital, save a second-round pick in 2022, is huge. The Sixers are also expected to sign Butler to a long-term extension, potentially locking up a third star for the next 4-5 seasons. The move, in that case, seems even better.

With Butler, however, come sweeping changes to the rotation. Robert Covington and Dario Saric were both starters, meaning Brett Brown will have to shuffle the rotation to find a fifth starter. The Markelle Fultz experiment will also get evaluated in a new light after a win-now trade.

Here are the five players who should start, as well as the makeup of the second unit. It’s a new era in Philadelphia.