I wasn’t sure if I wanted the Philadelphia 76ers to trade for Jimmy Butler. Butler is a great player and helps improve their chances to make the NBA Finals this season, but I didn’t want the Sixers to give up on Markelle Fultz or the Miami Heat’s 2021 unprotected first-round pick to do it.
Unless Kevin Durant or Stephen Curry get injured there’s no possibility the Sixers beat the Golden State Warriors this season, so they need to keep unproven players in Fultz and Zhaire Smith, who still have the potential to grow into roles that might be able to replace the production of now former Sixers Dario Saric and Robert Covington someday.