Philadelphia 76ers: Reacting to 2019 NBA free agency
By Alec Liebsch
Jimmy Butler takes his talents to South Beach
A player who will be much harder to replace is Jimmy Butler. It appears as though he had wandering eyes the entire season, especially after an internal conflict in January. According to reports, the Sixers will sign Butler via Bird Rights, and then trade him to the Miami Heat for Josh Richardson in a four-team swap.
The deal will include Josh Richardson to the 76ers, league sources tell ESPN. https://t.co/nWFrg00mtm
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2019
If Butler truly didn’t want to be in Philly, and the front office knew that for months, then it was smart to maximize his value. Going from Robert Covington and Dario Saric to Josh Richardson isn’t exactly ideal, but for the chance to retain a player of Butler’s caliber, that risk was worth taking.
It’s not like Richardson is a bum, either. A two-way wing who was arguably Miami’s best player for the past few seasons, Richardson will fill an important role right away. A team’s first option normally scores more than 16.6 points per game, but in Philly, he won’t have to be the No. 1 option for long stretches.
Richardson is best used as a spot-up wing who defends well, which is exactly how the Sixers will use him. He’s a fluid fit in a fluid lineup.
Grade: A (best they could’ve done if they knew he wanted to leave)