Getty Philadelphia 76ers guard Jimmy Butler
The Philadelphia 76ers struck a blockbuster deal which helped the franchise create their own “big three” early on in the 2018-19 NBA season. The Sixers, who have never been shy when it comes to trades, acquired All-Star guard Jimmy Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves, pairing him up with talented young playmakers Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.
While Butler has wanted out of Minnesota since the early stages of the NBA offseason, wasn’t surprising to see him moved. The Sixers did come a bit out of left field to make it happen, though, as there were various points where he seemed destined to land with other teams. Both the Houston Rockets and Miami Heat were in the thick of trade talks, and the former even offered four first-round picks in exchange for Butler a one point, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
In the end, Philadelphia made the offer that was most appealing to the Timberwolves. It’s been a few months since the deal went down, but let’s look back at the terms and details of the trade.
Terms & Details of Sixers’ Trade With Timberwolves for Jimmy Butler
The details of this trade came out over the span of roughly 15-20 minutes after the initial deal broke, courtesy of The Athletic’s Shams Charania. The NBA analyst broke down the full package and what was included on both sides. While the Sixers received Butler, they also picked up 2017 first-round pick center Justin Patton.
On the other side of the deal, the Timberwolves added All-NBA defender Robert Covington, forward Dario Saric and veteran guard Jerryd Bayless along with a 2022 second-round pick. The additions of Covington and Saric were key in the deal, and both play vital roles for Minnesota. Here’s a look at the trade details in full from Charania.
It was a deal that made sense for both sides, especially considering Butler was bound to leave Minnesota after the year regardless. The Timberwolves were wise to get as much as possible back for the All-Star guard, who’s now playing a big role in the Sixers’ push towards the postseason and possibly even further.
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