Jimmy Butler is set to be a free agent this summer, meaning that he can ultimately end up with his fourth team since 2017, a pretty crazy thought when you consider that Butler is one of the best wings in the league.
Butler began the 2018-19 campaign with the Minnesota Timberwolves, but after demanding a trade, he was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers. That came just over one year after Butler was traded to the Timberwolves from the Chicago Bulls.
So, the last two seasons have been an adventure for Butler, who, while not being Kevin Durant or Kawhi Leonard, will surely be one of the most sought-after free agents this summer.
But will Butler even leave the 76ers for another club?
Here are three reasons why he will:
3. Better Fit
While a lineup of Butler, Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris is certainly talented, the fit isn't all that great.
Butler is more of a slashing wing rather than one who is going to consistently spread the floor and knock down three-pointers, and while Butler can certainly hit triples, he is not the greatest long-range shooter.
Being in a lineup where there is very limited shooting overall is not ideal for Butler, as opponents can load up on him and pack the paint. Plus, it simply limits what the team can do overall.
You have to think that the 30-year-old can find a club that presents a better fit for him overall, which will not only make the team around him better, but will improve his numbers, which brings us to the next point…
2. Numbers
There are some guys who genuinely don't care about their numbers, but, for the most part, NBA players want to put up stats while also winning, and Butler is coming off of his worst statistical season since his third year in the league since 2014.
This season overall, Butler averaged 18.7 points per game, marking the first time he did not average 20 a night since that aforementioned third year. Also, his three-point percentage (33.8 percent) was his lowest since 2016.
Obviously, sharing the ball with three other guys who want their buckets definitely put a cap on Butler's stats, and while he will probably end up going somewhere where he will have to share the ball yet again, the situation will likely be different.
As I said earlier: Philadelphia's lack of floor spacing severely limited what Jimmy Butler was able to do, and Brett Brown also had to make sure to keep everyone happy, as Embiid began griping about his role not long after Butler arrived.
While Butler can't be the best player on a championship team, he can still post better numbers than he did in 2019, and that almost surely holds some form of importance to him.
1. Winning
Butler is yet to make it out of the second round of the playoffs, and for an elite two-way wing like himself, that has to sting.
The thing is, if he returns to the Sixers, he might get stuck in a loop of getting knocked out of the second round for the next several years, as Philly has an incredibly flawed roster that will also be handicapped by a lack of cap space if Butler decides to re-sign.
There will likely be better opportunities for Butler this summer. Maybe he can join the Los Angeles Clippers and team up with Kawhi Leonard, for example?
Jimmy Butler himself said that he wants to win, and I'm not sure he will ever get the chance to truly contend for a title with this iteration of the 76ers.
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