Getty Images Joel Embiid slapping hands with Robert Covington.
The Philadelphia 76ers made a season-changing move on Saturday ahead of their matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies. Hours before tipoff, it was announced that the 76ers would be sending Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless, and a future second-round pick in exchange for Jimmy Butler, and Justin Patton.
Despite the fact that Covington and Saric have been critical pieces to the teams “Process” that occurred over the years, it looks like the Sixers are headed into a different direction. And in order for the team to become legitimate contenders in the Eastern Conference, they needed an established superstar, and this Butler deal was just too sweet to pass up.
The Sixers seem generally happy with the move, although this team has been tight over the last two years. Covington, who has been in Philly since 2014, and Saric, who joined the team in 2016, will get a new opportunity in Minnesota with the Timberwolves as Joel Embiid, and Ben Simmons welcome Butler with open arms in Philly. And although Embiid is generally happy to start playing with his new teammate, he still showed a lot of love towards his former teammates on Saturday after the Sixers overtime loss to the Grizzlies.
Embiid Praises His Former Teammates
“They gave us a lot these past few years.”
Embiid has nothing but praise for Dario Saric and Robert Covington in his remarks in the locker room after the game in Memphis.
It’s obviously an emotional time for the Sixers locker room, as they played without two of their five starters on Saturday night. The team fared well without Saric, Covington, and Butler by forcing the game into overtime, but they ultimately couldn’t close it out and get the job done. Hopefully, that won’t be the case when Butler gets into town.
As for Covington and Saric, they have yet to speak out on the deal. As it all happened unexpectedly, everybody is most likely still in shock that a deal got done. After all, the Sixers were rumored to be out on the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes early on in the year. It looks like their general manager Elton Brand knew that a change needed to come.