The Minnesota Timberwolves recently traded All-Star forward Jimmy Butler and center Justin Patton to the Philadelphia 76ers in exchange for forward Dario Saric, forward Robert Covington, guard Jerryd Bayless, and a second-round pick.
This trade is the biggest news of the season so far, so I decided to analyze the potential benefits and downsides of it for each team.
Philadelphia 76ers:
Butler should fit in well with a 76ers team already comprised of two All-Star caliber players in Ben Simmons and Joel Embid and talented veterans such as JJ Redick and Wilson Chandler.
Butler’s shot-creating ability will provide a huge boost for Philly and will take some of the pressure off of Simmons and Embid. Butler’s defensive intensity is also a benefit, as the 76ers have struggled in that area up to this point. As a whole, acquiring Butler likely boosts the 76ers to one of the best teams in the East along with the Celtics and Raptors.
At the same time, the 76ers gave up a lot of important pieces to get Butler. Saric and Covington were two key players who each took up around 30 minutes per-game. Philly, not a very deep team to begin with, essentially shortened their rotation by one man by giving up two players to get one. Bayless and Patton won’t affect things as neither have played a single minute this season.
Butler isn’t a great shooter, and the 76ers gave up two of their best shooters to get him. Philly, who is already ranked in the bottom half in 3-point percentage, is likely to get even worse at shooting from deep.
Overall, this trade isn’t great for the 76ers because they gave up a lot of valuable players to get Jimmy Butler. At the same time, a core of Embid, Simmons, and Butler is one of the best in the NBA.
Grade: B
Minnesota Timberwolves:
After a slow start to the season, the Timberwolves traded away Jimmy Butler in hopes of salvaging their season with a young core of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.
Getting rid of Butler will worsen Minnesota’s already poor defense. Butler’s shot-creating ability will also be missed. However, losing Butler was necessary for the team’s locker room and overall mentality as the Timberwolves have faced lots of recent drama revolving around Butler. Getting rid of Butler will also allow Towns and Wiggins to take bigger roles as leaders both on and off the court.
The biggest downside to this trade is the lack of a first-round draft pick. Minnesota has a very bright future with a couple of young stars. Acquiring a good pick for Butler would have been huge for the team’s future success. Nonetheless, the Timberwolves still got some talented players to add to their roster.
Saric and Covington are two talented, starting-caliber players who will help address some of the team’s struggles with defense and shooting. They are both under 30 years old, so they’re young enough to grow with the team’s future. While they likely won’t become All-Star level players, Saric and Covington fill two necessary roles for any contending team.
With all of Jimmy Butler’s drama finally gone, Wiggins and Towns will have a chance to grow into the superstars that Minnesota has envisioned for years. This trade is far from perfect, but it still puts the Timberwolves in a good position to develop and create a contending team.
Grade: B