76ers Trade Rumors: PHI 'Identified' as a Team to Target Jimmy Butler Deal
The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly could get involved in the trade sweepstakes for disgruntled Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard Jimmy Butler.
On Friday, Shams Charania of Stadium reported other teams around the NBA are "identifying" the Sixers as a franchise that could make a run at a Butler deal:
The 29-year-old Houston native skipped training camp and the preseason before returning for an infamous practice session less than a week before the start of the regular season during which he verbally lashed out at head coach Tom Thibodeau, general manager Scott Layden and teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com.
Butler has appeared in four of the Wolves' first five games despite his earlier trade request and performed at a high level amid the drama. He's averaging 24.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.8 steals and 3.5 assists while shooting 53.3 percent from the floor in the early stages of the 2018-19 season.
Wojnarowski reported Thursday the Houston Rockets made an offer that included four future first-round picks in an effort to land Butler to play alongside James Harden and Chris Paul. But Charania noted there hasn't been much movement on that front.
That could open the door for the 76ers to make a push.
Philly, viewed as a potential contender in the Eastern Conference coming into the campaign, is off to a sluggish 2-3 start. While the sample size is too small to make any definitive judgments, there's little doubt acquiring Butler would provide a boost if they aren't forced to part with any of their young core.
A starting lineup of Butler, Ben Simmons, Robert Covington, Dario Saric and Joel Embiid with Markelle Fultz and J.J. Redick as bench assets would be dangerous.
So far, there's nothing to suggest a Butler deal to the Sixers is imminent, though.
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