Jimmy Butler Trade: Joel Embiid & Ben Simmons Were Consulted About 76ers Trade

TheSportster

By Alex Hoegler

Published Nov 10, 2018

Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid were reportedly consulted by the 76ers before they made the blockbuster trade for Jimmy Butler.

May 7, 2018; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard T.J. McConnell (12) talks with guard Ben Simmons (25) and center Joel Embiid (left) during the fourth quarter in game four of the second round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Before the Philadelphia 76ers made a blockbuster trade for Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star Jimmy Butler, the front office talked it over with its two franchise players.

According to Kyle Neubeck of PhillyVoice.com, young stars Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid "were both consulted prior to the agreement taking place." ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski broke down the details of the move:

The trade comes almost two full months after Butler asked for a trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves. The front office waited patiently for the right deal to come along, and the 76ers finally offered a package deal that pleased head coach Tom Thibodeau and GM Scott Layden.

With the trade, the young 76ers finally get a third star to form a 'Big Three' with Simmons and Embiid. The latter two players were instrumental in guiding Philly to 52 wins last season - and their first playoff berth in six years.

Nov 5, 2018; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves guard Jimmy Butler (23) reacts after he is called for a foul during the second quarter against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports

The 76ers have plenty of salary cap space and were widely mentioned as suitors in the LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard sweepstakes. But the former signed with the Los Angeles Lakers, while the latter got traded to the Toronto Raptors - as Philly reportedly didn't want to part with its core young players in a trade for Leonard.

Philadelphia has rebounded from a sluggish start and sits nicely at 8-5, and they're better equipped to compete with the 11-1 Toronto Raptors and powerhouse Boston Celtics. In adding Butler, the 76ers now own a four-time All-Star that's renowned for his strong two-way game and elite defensive skills.

Embiid and Simmons are off to strong starts in 2018-19, and now they have a top-15 player to fix the shooting woes and struggles on defense. It's a major win for the 76ers franchise, who spent several years rebuilding ("The Process). Now, they have all the makings to compete for an NBA Championship.

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