The Minnesota Timberwolves have traded Jimmy Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers for Robert Covington, Dario Saric and Jerryd Bayless in a huge move.

The All-Star shooting guard was at the top of a list of NBA players ready for a trade and there were plenty of rumors surrounding the disgruntled and outspoken Butler. He returned to the Timberwolves this season but a trade was inevitable, with a number of rumored destinations. Eventually, the Timberwolves settled on Philadelphia where Butler will make the 76ers an immediate contender in the Eastern Conference.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe confirmed the deal, adding that Minnesota will receive a 2022 second-round pick and send Justin Patton to Philadelphia in the trade.

Speculation is the 76ers added Butler to join stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons have no intention of making this trade a short-term solution. The team is expected to reach an agreement with Butler on a long-term contract extension this summer.

This was a necessary trade for Minnesota who had an unhappy player on their hands, knew he'd be leaving in free agency and needed to get something in return for him before it was too late. Butler is averaging 21.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 10 games and had value in a trade. Some may question the timing of the move or the return, but not the trade itself.

Original speculation was that Butler might end up in Los Angeles with the Clippers or New York with the Knicks. He might even have made time for the Brooklyn Nets. Instead, the 76ers stepped up and put a package together that satisfied what the T-Wolves were looking for and made the move official on Saturday.

Philly took a big step forward in making themselves a contender this season, but like Toronto — who picked up Kawhi Leonard in a trade from San Antonio this offseason — there is no guarantee that Butler will stick around. The 76ers are hoping a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals and a chance to win it all is enough to convince Butler to stay. With the team they've assembled, those odds are looking fairly strong.

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