The question has been out there all season long. Where was Jimmy Butler going to land? Rumors were flying that it could be Miami or Houston and the Rockets even offered four first-round picks in a package to get Butler but were turned down. Well, he finally was traded, but it was to a team no on thought about.
The Philadelphia 76ers acquired Butler and big man Justin Patton for the services of forward Robert Covington, forward Dario Saric, guard Jaryd Bayless and a 2022 second round pick. The trade immediately sent shockwaves across the NBA and especially the NBA's Eastern Conference.
The 76ers can now can insert Butler in their starting lineup with young stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. The East, which the 76ers have been mentioned as winning, just gets that much tougher with Butler in the fold in Philly. So with his addition to the team, what is his impact?
One question about the 76ers has been the second option for this team. All last season, the second option was JJ Redick with 17.2 points per game. This season, the second option had been clustered at best. While Ben Simmons was talked about as the second option, he was not that at all. Simmons is more of a facilitator and is not a consistently aggressive player. With the addition of Butler, the 76ers now get a clear second option on this team. Butler is an upgrade over Covington because he can create his own shot and create shots for others.
One thing some will talk about the 76ers losing is the shooting of Covington. This season, the veteran small forward was shooting the three-pointer at a 39% clip this season. His shooting helped spread the floor for Embiid to work in the paint. Although it seems bad to lose that type of shooting, Butler is not a slouch at the three-point line either, shooting 37.8% from three-point range.
So not only can Butler create his own shot and help others, but he can also space the floor. Imagine he and Embiid in a pick-and-roll together or better yet, Embiid positing up in the paint with Butler on the same side of the floor. That pairing together in different types of offensive sets would make the 76ers very hard to defend, especially with the vision of Simmons getting them the basketball.
Defensively, the addition of Jimmy Butler is also a great thing. The loss of Covington means the 76ers lose a very good small forward in terms of defense. Covington was a first-team all defense player in the NBA. Butler though, is no slouch on that end of the court. He has taken on the likes of LeBron James and Kevin Durant on the perimeter and equipped himself well. One thing Butler does better than Covington though is defend different positions.
Where that will come in handy is when the 76ers play against the Boston Celtics. They need a defender that can guard guys like Kyrie Irving and also bigger guys like Jayson Tatum and Gordon Heyward. Along with his versatility, Butler also brings a great help defender. So while many may not think weakside defense counts for anything, Butler can help out when other perimeter defenders get beat and can help the 76ers become a better defensive team there.
The trade of Jimmy Butler to Philly definitely changes some of the dynamics of the East. The Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and 76ers were all talked about as teams that could win the east. Now with Butler on the team, the 76ers add a veteran that's hungry to win at all costs.
The interesting thing will be how he meshes with the rest of the team once he gets to Philly. Many talk about his attitude, but winning cures everything and so does money, which Philly has to pay him next season to keep him there. Philly fans rejoice! The Process is moving forward and looking better than ever.
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