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The Philadelphia 76ers don't appear to be involved in the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes.
New Sixers general manager Elton Brand joined ESPN's Zach Lowe on the Lowe Post podcast and said he likes where the team is at right now. Brand didn't address the Butler rumors either.
New #Sixers GM Elton Brand on The Lowe Post podcast didn't address #Timberwolves/Jimmy Butler rumors or whether the #76ers are players for him, but says he likes where the team is at right now.
— Tomer Azarly (@TomerAzarly) September 26, 2018
Butler, who has requested a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves, prefers to play for the Miami Heat, but also has the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks on his team wishlist. The Timberwolves have no obligation to send Butler to his preferred destinations.
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Reminder that the Wolves are under no obligation to grant Butler’s wish on this. But Miami has been aggressive through this process https://t.co/5YDu4RV6CQ
— Jon Krawczynski (@JonKrawczynski) September 26, 2018
Butler can become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019 if he declines his player option for the 2019-20 season. The four-time All-Star averaged 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game last season. He shot 47.4 percent from the field and 35.0 percent from beyond the arc.
Even though the Sixers would benefit from adding Butler, there's no point to gut the roster to acquire him when there's a high chance he can be a rental player. There's also the locker room dynamic to take into consideration. For the last three seasons, Butler has been a locker room cancer. He reportedly had beef with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah with the Chicago Bulls, and he clashed with Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins last season.
It’s a risk to have Butler in your locker room and every team in the league knows it. The Sixers, who are led by Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, can't afford to add a confrontational player who may disrupt the process.
