Philadelphia 76ers: Jimmy Butler has no problem with Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons

By Christopher Kline | Mar 1, 2020

Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Jimmy Butler shot down rumors of discord between him and the Philadelphia 76ers’ young core.

Questions of Jimmy Butler‘s happiness in Philadelphia have come fast and furious ever since his decision to leave last summer. Some wondered whether or not the Sixers wanted to re-sign him, while others spouted rumors of controversy in the locker room.

In the end, Butler’s reason for leaving the Philadelphia 76ers is still unknown. We don’t know whether or not the Sixers offered a five-year max. We also don’t know the details of Butler’s relationship with Brett Brown and the front office. We only know his current status as a member of the Miami Heat.

Some have tied Brown to Butler’s departure. Others have pointed to Ben Simmons, saying the 6-foot-10 point guard developed an irritation for Butler’s antics. The one person who we know doesn’t have a distaste for Butler — with a relatively solid foundation of proof — is Joel Embiid. Those two are buddies.

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Butler shot down rumors of discord between him and the Sixers’ cornerstones in a recent interview with Sports Illustrated’s Andrew Sharp.

"“I didn’t have a problem with either one of them. Still talk to those dudes. I wish them the absolute best. A career of great health, make as much money as you can, win as many championships as you can. I did not have a problem with any of those guys. It just didn’t work the way that we wanted it to work. That’s life. Not everything pans out the way you want it to pan out. But you learn and you move on from it.”"

We all knew of the Embiid-Butler friendship, so his mention of Embiid and Simmons carries a bit more weight. That said, I never fully bought the rumors of a Simmons feud either. The dudes wore matching headbands and both have a competitive streak. If anything, you’d expect them to find common ground.

Butler’s quote gives the reader a lot to read into, but again, it’s worth a grain of salt. Jimmy is Jimmy, and he enjoys self-aggrandizing quotes and subtly stoking the flames. Honestly, it’s brilliant. He knows he can stir fans and media into a frenzy, and he’s happy to oblige.

If we were going to give him the satisfaction of a deeper dive, “not everything pans out the way you want it to pan out,” is easily the most interesting line. It signals an inhibitor of sorts. Something, if we are to read it correctly, made Butler’s decision beyond a simple desire to play in South Beach.

We may never know the true inhibitor. Maybe it was Brett Brown, who Butler did reportedly spar with once upon a time. Or perhaps it was the front office, foolishly unwilling to give Butler a max extension. Or maybe it was Tobias Harris, although I’m not sure anyone has ever gotten mad at Tobias Harris.

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Short story short, Butler wants you to think Embiid and Simmons weren’t the problem. And it’s probably true.