Already with two trades under their belt, the Philadelphia 76ers definitely lived up to their billing as a major player on the market before the trade deadline. They made the decision to trade both Caleb and KJ Martin, and they still have some more time to make another push with the way things are going around the association as of late.
In fact, the 76ers may actually just need to press harder. Both of their trades were salary dump moves, and neither project as win-now moves that can help the team take another step to qualify for the playoffs this season. If anything, it only leaves them more vulnerable to key positions on the hardwood.
The league has already seen blockbuster trades atop blockbusters, and there is little reason to believe why that would completely stop. This leaves Philly with some glimmer of hope that they can claim the fireworks for themselves by partaking in one and bolstering their bid this season despite their pretty awful record so far.
Jimmy Butler trade just ruined the master plan for the 76ers
Not to be left behind after the history-bending Luka Doncic-Anthony Davis trade and the De’Aaron Fox-Zach LaVine blockbuster trade, All-Star forward Jimmy Butler has joined the fray. He has been in engaged in an exhausting and petty warfare with Miami, and how, he finally got his wish.
The former 76ers star has now been shipped to Golden State in a multi-team trade yet to be finalized. However, he quickly agreed to a two-year extension with the Warriors, giving him much more staying power with his new team despite initial indications that he would not cozy up to the idea of not testing the free agency waters.
Philly was initially in the Butler loop, but this deal only proves that they should not have been in the first place. While the 76ers definitely had a viable trade framework, there is no way they could have afforded extending Butler, which was seemingly one of the prime considerations for his camp’s willingness to go to the Warriors.
A two-year, $121 million deal, after all, is simply nuts for Butler. While still a top-10 player in the league when engaged, especially in the playoffs, he has shown visible signs of age since last season while also being notably injury-prone — the last thing the 76ers need.
Moving forward, the Philadelphia 76ers have to realize that they are no longer armed with a clear pathway toward pursuing another star if they are not willing to part with their likeable assets. And for such an ambitious franchise, that is certainly a hard-to-swallow pill.
Oh, and to make matters worse, they could have had Jimmy Butler during the offseason. So, there’s that.