The Miami Heat have been one of the teams at the forefront of trying to trade for Minnesota Timberwolves forward Jimmy Buttler, but on Saturday morning it was the Philadelphia 76ers who managed to get a deal done to bring in the All-Star.
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Minnesota has traded Jimmy Butler and Justin Patton to Philadelphia for Robert, Covington, Dario Saric and a 2022 second-round draft pick, league sources tell me and @JonKrawczynski.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 10, 2018
The package is pretty surprising considering the reported deal that nearly brought Butler to Miami. That deal reportedly included Josh Richardson and a first-round draft pick.
While Robert Covington and Dario Saric are both solid rotational players, neither have true star potential and are averaging 11.3 and 11.1 points per game, respectively. Richardson, on the other hand, has already taken a massive leap on this young season and is currently averaging 20.5 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.
Since the season began, Butler has shown the league his true colors. He has ridiculed his young teammates, sat out games when healthy, and brought an NBA organization to its knees. Considering that, the fact that he is not headed to Miami may be a blessing in disguise.
Still, it will be interesting to see how the talented forward shifts the landscape of the Eastern Conference.
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