The Jimmy Butler saga has seemingly come to an end in Minnesota, as ESPN's Zach Lowe and Adrian Wojnarowski are both reporting that a deal has been struck with the Philadelphia 76ers. Just when the Toronto Raptors were pulling away from the rest of the pack in the Eastern Conference, a power shuffle has occurred without the Sixers' needing to move any of the pieces of their core. However, they did have to give up value to obtain Jimmy Butler's services.
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As per the agreement, Philadelphia will send Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless, and a 2020 second-round pick to Minnesota for Jimmy Butler and forward Justin Patton. Considering Minnesota has already identified its core, for better or for worse, gaining valuable complimentary assets like Covington and Saric strikes me as a bit of a coup, considering the offers they left on the table.
It's being reported that Minnesota will likely waive Jerryd Bayless' contract in order to create roster flexibility. The cost for Jimmy Butler would have been even higher, had the Sixers been given the assurance Jimmy Butler would sign on longterm. With his acquisition, Philadelphia's NBA title odds have jumped from 30-1 to 16-1.
The question that begs asking: is Butler a fit with "The Process?" We'll have to wait and see.
