The Jimmy Butler trade is only the second most exciting development for the Sixers this season. Number one has been Joel Embiid’s ascent, which also happens to be what made the trade possible in the first place.
We’re only 14 games in, but Embiid looks like a top-five NBA player. He’s currently third in the NBA in scoring and ranks among the league’s best in rebounds, blocks and double-doubles. As they stand now, the numbers represent not only a career year but signify a potential leap into superstardom, alongside names like Hakeem, Kareem and Shaq.
Sadly, Embiid’s elevation stands alone on a Sixers squad that appears to have otherwise regressed. Ben Simmons is the only other established star on the team, and his scoring is down, along with Dario Saric’s and Robert Covington’s, who not coincidentally were dealt for Butler.
The Sixers needed somebody other than Embiid who could put the ball in the hoop with any degree of consistency. That might be Simmons or even Markelle Fultz, someday, although that isn’t the case so far. It was probably never going to be Saric or Covington.
The way Embiid is performing, though, the Sixers couldn’t wait to find out about any of them. He’s great right now, and he’s already 24 years old with a history of injuries, so there’s no time to waste.
Who knows how Butler fits with the rest of the pieces. In all honesty, it didn’t matter. Embiid appears to be in the midst of a special season, the championship-caliber type nobody wants to see go to waste, and the Sixers needed an all-around perimeter player who could help pick up the slack.
Butler averaged at least 20 points per game in each of the previous four seasons, and his much-publicized recent antics aside, the 29-year-old is well on his way to making it five. The Sixers shouldn’t expect to lose much in terms of size, production or defense in the swap, either, even with two key contributors being exchanged for one.
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Given his age, character concerns, impending free agency and/or contract issues, questions of fit and the talent exchanged, there’s a very good argument Butler is a gamble for the Sixers.
It was also a risk the Sixers had to take if Embiid is going to continue playing at his current level. He’s averaging 27.7 points and 13.1 rebounds — on pace to shatter personal bests — which, along with his defensive prowess, will have him in the MVP conversation come April.
Embiid is also averaging 35.1 minutes because the Sixers need him to right now. It showed Saturday in the second half of a back-to-back, a 112-106 loss in Memphis where he shot 4 of 15 from the field, 0 for 6 from beyond the arc, 6 of 10 at the line and had six turnovers — all season worsts. The fatigue was evident, and the team fell apart without his brilliance.
Embiid is still going to be the cornerstone of this team, but the Sixers needed someone to share the scoring load. Butler will do that — and it may just be the pairing that pushes this team to the top of the Eastern Conference.
Even if it isn’t, the Sixers were right to try to cash in on Embiid’s dominance.
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