After just 55 games with the 76ers, Jimmy Butler moved on from the organization, and star high man Joel Embiid, to pursue something new in Miami.
While the details regarding his departure remain murky at best, there is a sense that Butler clashed with the culture the team was trying to build at the time. In a recent article by the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey, the NBA insider confirmed the rumors and finally revealed why they chose to keep Tobias Harris over him.
“That actually wasn’t totally accurate,” Pompey wrote. “Some in the organization didn’t know how to take Butler’s personality. Harris was, however, a beneficiary, receiving a five-year, $180 million contract.”
Report: Some members of Philadelphia 76ers front office were uncomfortable with Jimmy Butler’s personality https://t.co/QITzYb7lcZ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 1, 2023
Butler was a huge contributor to the Sixers and helped them make a run to the Conference Semi-Finals before they fell flat against Kawhi Leonard’s Raptors.
An interesting move, the Sixers decided to let Butler walk in free agency and it’s a love decision Joel Embiid still laments frequently.
“It was a big loss because me and him, we got to the point where we were really close – we’re still close,” said Embiid on his former teammate. “We talk a lot, that’s my guy, that’s my brother forever. I wish he was still on the team because I feel like the relationship that I built with him could have gone a long way.”
Of course, we all know how things turned out for Butler. After leaving Philly, he joined a Heat team ready to compete, and he made it all the way to the NBA Finals alongside Bam Adebayo. Sadly, he hasn’t been back there since 2020.
As for the Sixers, they’ve built a team that could give even Butler’s 76ers a run for their money.
Can Joel Embiid Lead The 76ers To A Title?
We don’t know what kind of attitude Butler had on the Sixers, but we can assume his highly competitive nature rubbed some guys the wrong way. This season, with Embiid, the team is maintaining a delicate balance between accountability and patience.
But at 39-21. on the season, there is no question that the Sixers are a threat to win the title and Embiid can get them there if he stays healthy and plays his best game.
Only time will tell how this campaign plays out for them, but failure this season could mean a complete collapse of the Sixers as we know them.
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