Sixers

Reports: Sixers Finalizing Deal with Minnesota to Acquire Jimmy Butler

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: Nov 10th, 2018 · 1:20 PM EST

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Saturday stunner!

I had literally just sat down to watch college football when this crossed the timeline:

Minnesota has traded Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton to Philadelphia for Robert, Covington, Dario Saric and a 2022 second-round draft pick, league sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski.

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 10, 2018

Sources: Philadelphia's Jerryd Bayless has also been traded to Minnesota as part of Jimmy Butler deal. Covington/Saric/Bayless/2022 2nd for Butler and Patton. https://t.co/qSvFzjG5BU

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 10, 2018

Jimmy Butler and the Sixers fully expect to reach a deal on a long-term contract this summer, league sources tell ESPN. Sixers made deal with plans to add Butler to a Big Three with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 10, 2018

We’ll see if any more info comes out today. The Sixers are in Memphis on the second night of a back-to-back.

Instant reaction?

I’m shocked that they were able to make this deal without moving a first round draft pick or Markelle Fultz. Shocked. And if it’s true that they were able to also move Jerryd Bayless and get Butler to agree to a long-term extension, then that’s two more wins for Elton Brand. This is an incredibly aggressive and somewhat risky move, but Butler is the two-way player and shot creator that this team has desperately needed dating back more than a year now. Certainly he’s had some locker room issues in the past, but Brett Brown and the Sixers have generally been very good at keeping things tight behind the scenes and I imagine a change of scenery will negate any kind of lingering negativity surrounding Butler.

That said, I have no clue what the chemistry is going to be like. Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Butler all need the ball in their hands. Covington and Saric did not, and they were a nice complement for Ben and Joel. Butler really does change the dynamic among that group.

Obviously the loss of Covington’s utility defense is a big deal, and Dario was really important to the Sixers’ success last year as a power forward who could spread the floor and shoot the three pointer. Does this mean that Ben Simmons goes down and plays more power forward with Fultz handling the ball? I’m not sure, but the Sixers are giving up two starters and gaining one in the trade, so maybe the top  lineup looks something like this:

1. Fultz
2. Redick
3. Butler
4. Simmons
5. Embiid

Is that what we’re looking at here? You can work Wilson Chandler into that mix as well I would think, though I’m really curious about what happens at the 4 moving forward.

Either way, this was a big boy move from Elton Brand. No clue if it works or not, but he’s fucking going for it.

Edit:

I also like the fact that they can now play a 1 through 3 lineup on the perimeter of Ben Simmons, Jimmy Butler, and Wilson Chandler. Maybe you put Mike Muscala and the 4 and Embiid at the 5. That is a pretty damn solid defensive lineup, and gives you perimeter defense (and scoring) that really did not exist in the Boston series.

Edit 2:

Jeez –

Ownership was heavily involved in the trade talks, with Philadelphia's Josh Harris and Minnesota's Glen Taylor working closely with management on executing a deal, sources tell @WindhorstESPN and me.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 10, 2018