The Sixers letting Butler and Redick walk
According to Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports, Jimmy Butler turned down the Sixer’s five-year, $190 million max offer to sign with the Heat for $48 million less.
If the report is true – and there is a strong chance given Haberstroh’s strong connections across the league – then deep down, maybe Butler’s priority has been to be the go-to guy all along, but if his departure secretly centered around money disputes, then the Sixers might have made a huge mistake, especially since they went on to sign a 33-year-old Al Horford to a $109 million deal that will probably age horribly.
Although the Sixers were able to retain 27-year-old, Tobias Harris – who is roughly three years younger – he is not at Butler’s level when it comes to shot creation and making clutch plays (this was even evident during last year’s playoffs).
Right now, the Sixers desperately need two things: a scorer who can get you a bucket on his own – regardless if defenses run a 2-3 zone – and 3-point shooting. Since the Sixers don’t really have either, coach Brett Brown’s best option is to simply rely on his best player, in Joel Embiid, through thick and thin.
But since he’s a big man (he needs to receive the ball in the post and can’t bring the ball up like any regular scoring guard or wing could), it’s hard for him to create an efficient offense since the paint is being clogged i.e., he’s playing in a lineup ideal for the 1980s with Ben Simmons at point guard and two big men in the frontcourt.
Obviously, any basketball junkie knows the intangibles Horford brings to the table, but it’s not hard to realize that what Horford brings isn’t going to utterly replace what Reddick and Butler provided.
The Sixers have to hope that the buyout market works in their favor just like it did during the post-trade deadline period in 2018.