Source: Mitchell Leff / Getty
Much has been made of what has come from the process. There have been many transactions and draft picks that have taken place since The Process began in the 2013 off-season, some have worked out, others have been disastrous. Unfortunately for rebuilding teams in general, one wrong move can completely undo all the success you have moved to build.
It may seem like that is the case for the Philadelphia 76ers but it’s not, a myriad of wrong moves is what got them in the position of finishing a poultry sixth in the Eastern Conference, and even had them bow out in four short games, a sweep, in the first round of the playoffs.
Jimmy Butler decided to leave the Sixers was the final blow to the process. The Sixers had given up Process gems Dario Saric and Robert Covington to get Jimmy Butler and he ended up leaving. The Sixers got Josh Richardson in return, but no Jimmy Butler proved to really hurt the Sixers this year.
It has never been abundantly clear exactly why Jimmy left, but he hinted on JJ Redick’s podcast that it was because of the way the hierarchy was set up in Philadelphia. Despite Butler denying that he left Philly because of either Embiid or Simmons, reports are coming out Butler questioned Simmons’ mental fortitude.
Per The Athletics Zach Harper, Butler “didn’t view [Simmons] on par with someone like himself or [Joel] Embiid when it came to mental makeup.”
Butler was a huge piece for the Sixers and their run through the playoffs last year. He was the primary ball-handler late in games and was the effective closer. He averaged 18.2 points in 55 games with the Sixers following the trade from Minnesota.
After a sign and trade this past off-season, Jimmy Butler is leading the Miami Heat against the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. The Heat suffered a blowout defeat to the Lakers in game one by a score of 116-98.
