Philadelphia 76ers roundtable: Thoughts on the Jimmy Butler trade

Trey Fox

The Philadelphia 76ers took another leap last Saturday, acquiring Jimmy Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves.  To the dismay of some Sixers fans out there, we lost Robert Covington and Dario Saric in the deal.  I, however, am of the belief that an upgrade was in order to seriously compete for a championship.  Covington and Saric are solid players who work extremely hard but are simply not enough to put a team with championship aspirations over the top.  A third star was needed, and that’s what the Sixers received in Butler.

I’m a huge fan of this deal for a number of reasons.  The intangibles Jimmy Butler brings to the table cannot be overstated.  Butler plays with passion and grit, bringing the same level of energy and determination every time he steps foot on the basketball court.

He’s a defender first and foremost, but his offense continues to mature over the years and he has turned into one of the premier two-way players in the league and a perennial All-Star.  On the season, Butler boasts averages of 21.3 points, 4.3 assists and 5.2 rebounds per game.  He’s still making his return from a right wrist injury, so expect his overall play to increase as the season progresses.

In terms of fit, Butler will succeed alongside Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid, and will make for an extremely dangerous trio.  Butler’s presence as an elite player will take pressure off the shoulders of Embiid and Simmons and vice versa.  It’s also important to note that Butler plays well off the ball.  He has a knack for finding openings in a defense, cutting to the rim and spotting up for open perimeter shots.

He’s a high-IQ player and a quality decision maker as well, so he’ll be able to share some of the playmaking responsibilities with Ben.  Butler can handle the ball, create his own shot, post up and does an excellent job at drawing fouls as well.

As previously mentioned, he’s also an elite defender. You must also take into consideration that Butler is unafraid to take and make big shots.  Who knows what Brett Brown will ultimately decide in terms of the starting lineup, but a defense anchored by Embiid, Butler and Simmons will be nothing short of nightmarish.  Overall, the Sixers have improved significantly and can now say that they have a “big three” that will terrorize the Eastern Conference.