Screw the Process. It’s a false prophecy. Do you know what’s real? Jimmy Butler. That’s an All-Star caliber player in his prime. The 76ers stole Butler when they acquired him from the Wolves for Robert Covington and Dario Saric. Butler gives the 76ers a real third star to go along with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. If Philly fans had any worry that Butler could skip town after this year, it sounds like they don’t have anything to worry about.
In a recent interview with Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, Butler claims that he is loving his time in Philly and can envision it being home:
“To tell you the truth, I don’t even talk about the trade no more, because I’m here, and I’m loving it here. All of that is in the past. So I leave it just there,”
“I could see this being home,”
I can’t see there being an attractive option in free agency for Butler to leave this situation. The Knicks are trash. Their ownership is trash. As long as Kristaps Porzingis isn’t on the floor, I can’t see they are attractive for any top-tier free agent. The Nets are just as bad with a bunch of young guys that don’t have any All-Star potential. Other than the Clippers, I don’t see how there’s any competition.
Butler can also sign the max extension with the 76ers for 5 years. If he leaves, he can only sign a 4-year deal for slightly less money. For a player that is about to turn 30, I doubt he wants to leave any extra money on the table.
Philadelphia is 14-8 on the season sitting in 3rd place in the Eastern Conference. With Butler on board, Philly now has a real chance to win the East that they never had prior to the trade.
