The Philadelphia 76ers have made a slew of brow-raising moves this offseason. Despite the team being in a state of flux and utter desperation, it can be argued that the front office put up a substandard slate this summer, pulling off a couple of shortsighted moves that do not move the needle nor address actual issues on the roster.
Perhaps the most puzzling of them all is the team’s decision to bring Kyle Lowry back. The six-time All-Star easily had his worst campaign last season, yet the 76ers resolved to usher him in for another go-round with the franchise despite being unplayable. Worse, there is little to suggest that he can turn things around due to his fluctuating role and effectiveness.
The cost of them bringing back Lowry, although it came first, was Jared Butler. Philly had a team option to have Butler return for next season when they converted his two-way deal to a standard NBA contract shortly after the trade deadline, but the front office decided to move past him. Fans were expecting an upgrade, but instead, they were treated to another year of Lowry.
Now, Butler is reportedly headed to the West, where he has a chance to play a major role.
Suns make 76ers look foolish as Jared Butler heads to Phoenix
As first reported by ESPN’s Shams Charania, Butler has agreed to a one-year deal with the Suns, ensuring that he remains in the league after getting the axe from the 76ers a month ago.
Butler turned down a couple of offers from Euroleague teams to sign with Phoenix, which is undergoing a major roster facelift following the departures of All-Stars Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. The Suns previously had no natural point guards on the roster, but with the arrival of Butler (and Jordan Goodwin), Phoenix now has some stopgap solutions at PG.
Butler has underperformed in his first few seasons in the league, but he seemed on the way to turning the worm last season when he took on a major role for the injury-riddled 76ers. A solid playmaker who has an uncanny ability to take the ball to the rack, Butler will now have an opportunity to showcase his skills with the Suns.
Meanwhile, the 76ers will have to make do with Lowry serving as their third-string point guard — a daunting proposition given that Jared McCain is coming off a major injury. Simply put, Philly needs a better solution to absorb some minutes at pont guard when needed, and Butler is most definitely better than Lowry at this juncture.
Hopefully, this doesn’t bite the 76ers back. But for now, they definitely made a mistake choosing the veteran Lowry over Butler, who has a lot to prove.