What If Jimmy Butler Was Still in Philly?
What would have happened if the Sixers kept Jimmy Butler?
After trading two pieces of the Process’ puzzle during the 2019 season, the Sixers brought in free agent to be, Jimmy Butler. Between the Bulls and the Timberwolves, Butler has made a name for himself as a malcontent in the locker room, which made it a bold move by rookie General Manager Elton Brand to bring him in, but one that made sense. The Process was nearing its end and the Butler trade signified an arrival for the new Philadelphia 76ers.
After a devastating loss to the Toronto Raptors in the semi-finals the Sixers were put into a tough spot. Brand had been aggressive all season by trading for Butler and another free agent to be, Tobias Harris. Who do they keep? Tobias or Jimmy? Eventually, the Sixers pulled a sign and trade off with the Miami Heat, a trade that essentially sent Butler to the Heat in exchange for Josh Richardson. They then maxed out Tobias Harris and reshaped the team by adding Richardson and Al Horford.
During this time of no sports it came to my mind, what would the 2019-2020 Sixers look like if they had kept Jimmy Butler?
After an underwhelming season from Tobias Harris, it’s easy to wonder if the team made the right decision keeping Harris over Butler.
We know now that the decision may not have been as clear cut as that, but it’s still a fair assumption to make.
Harris is averaging 19.4/6.8/3.2 this season while shooting 47% from the floor, but it doesn’t feel like he puts up 20 points a game. Harris looks out of place and has had trouble finding his role in the offense while Joel Embiid is on the floor.
Butler, on the other hand, is the unquestioned leader on the 3rd seed Heat. He has a line of 20.2/6.6/6.1 while shooting 45% from the field. Give or take some assists, Butler and Harris are averaging very similar seasons. Well, as with anything else there are pros and cons that come along with the thought of what would have been if they Sixers kept Butler.
During Butler’s tenure in red white and blue, it seemed to include minimal drama and fun between Embiid and him. We now know there were some underlying issues with last year’s team, including issues between Butler and Ben Simmons.
Butler kept to himself at most times: he knew he was in line for a major payday and it’s fair to speculate he did not want to mess that up by acting out in Philly.
Let’s not forget, there were questions about Butler’s role in the offense from the minute he got here.
We think the team has chemistry issues now, imagine what would have happened with Butler after being paid.
All in all, it’s hard to say what would’ve happened if the team had kept Butler over Harris. Would Ben Simmons be shooting more if Butler was still here? Maybe. Would there be chemistry issues? Probably.
As Philadelphians, we love to see an athlete embrace the city. The public opinion matters here more than anywhere else, and the fact of the matter is that Butler didn’t want to be here and Tobias Harris has embraced the city as his new home. Granted, that may have something to do with the 5-year/$180 million contract he’s locked into but nevertheless, he wants to be here.
The minute you commit to paying Ben Simmons, you commit to having his back at all costs.
Bringing Jimmy Butler back would have gone against that entirely. I can confidently say the Sixers made the right decision in letting Butler go.
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