BUTLER BROUGHT IN BY PHILADELPHIA
The Philadelphia 76ers acquired forward/guard Jimmy Butler and center Justin Patton from the Minnesota Timberwolves for forward Dario Saric, forward/guard Robert Covington, guard Jerryd Bayless and a second-round draft pick in 2022.
What does it give the Philadelphia 76ers
Butler wanted out of MInnesota and lands in a great spot with the 76ers, who already boast franchise players Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Butler could give Philadelphia a legitimate chance to reach the 2019 NBA Finals, as his shooting from the outside, defense and well-rounded game may thrive playing with Embiid and Simmons. Patton is a throw-in for now, since he is currently injured. However, he is a 21-year-old 7-footer with some upside. While this deal looks like a pure win for the Sixers, they will need to figure out how to replace starting power forward Saric.
What does it give the Minnesota Timberwolves
The Timberwolves were in a tough spot with Butler, since there was no chance he would have stayed in Minnesota beyond 2018-19. So, they did reasonably well here to land two of Philadelphia's starting five players in Saric and Covington. The former is an upgrade on veteran Taj Gibson at power forward, while the latter will team with Andrew Wiggins (who will likely move from small forward to shooting guard to accommodate the incoming Covington) to help replace Butler's scoring from the wing. Bayless, a veteran point guard, was thrown into this deal for salary purposes and is a non-factor here.
Fantasy impact
Butler's fantasy stock could soar playing with Philadelphia, although it still remains to be seen whether this is a short-term move or whether Butler decides to stay a Sixer over the long haul. Covington's stock may also rise with more scoring opportunities with the T'wolves. Wiggins may also thrive without Butler around in Minnesota. As for Saric, he is the fantasy wild card of this trade. He could become a star with more shots in Minnesota, although there are no guarantees that Saric will start ahead of Gibson (a favorite of Minny coach Tom Thibodeau). There is no immediate fantasy change for either Patton or Bayless.
