After years of telling fans to "Trust the Process," the Philadelphia 76ers hope that newcomer Jimmy Butler is indeed the final piece of "The Process," as they try to grow into a championship contender.

Philadelphia acquired the four-time All-Star guard in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves last weekend, giving up Robert Covington, Jerryd Bayless, Dario Saric and a draft pick in return.

Former 76ers legend and NBA MVP Allen Iverson spoke to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium and offered major praise for the trade - believing it puts Philly in contention to win now.

"We’ll miss those guys [Robert Covington and Dario Saric], but adding Jimmy was just beautiful for our team," Iverson said. "I remember taking us to the Finals, the energy this city had, and I love the energy we got now, man. We did a great trade"

"We got a chance now."

RELATED: JIMMY BUTLER TRADE: HOW THE 76ERS JUST GOT BETTER

Credit: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

Indeed, the 76ers are in primary position to rule the Eastern Conference for years to come. With young stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, Philadelphia won 52 games last season and reached the second round of the playoffs.

With Butler - a top-15 player with elite shooting and defensive skills - now in the fold, the sky is the limit for Philadelphia. The Boston Celtics and Toronto Raptors look better on paper, but the 76ers easily boast the best 'Big Three' of them all.

What This Means

Entering this season, the 76ers, Celtics and Raptors were considered the three favorites to win the East - though many put Philly a tear below those two clubs. But with Boston struggling right now and Toronto having a well-documented history of playoff meltdowns, the 76ers are sitting pretty - and they looked primed for a big run this spring.

The 76ers struck out on the LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes, but GM Elton Brand finally found that third superstar to complement Simmons and Embiid. Now, it's about going out there and finishing the process by winning a championship.

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