“Jimmy Butler’s time at Minnesota isn’t the same as Ben Simmons’, his teammates had his back”: Comparing Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler’s trade saga

Akash Murty | 12/10/2021
"Jimmy Butler's time at Minnesota isn't the same as Ben Simmons', his teammates had his back": Comparing Ben Simmons and Jimmy Butler's trade saga

Jimmy Butler and James Harden’s forced trades a few years ago are now being compared to Simmons. But they really aren’t that analogous.

Those two trades are still fresh memories for several fans of both franchises. We are here to talk about Jimmy’s time with the Timberwolves, with some newly surfaced stories.

According to Jon Krawczynski and Kelly Iko of The Athletic, Jimmy Butler’s  trying to get his way out of Minnesota is different from that of Simmons,

“In Minnesota, the differences between Butler and the younger Wolves, Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins, were evident,” Krawczynski and Iko wrote.

Also read: “I don’t give a damn what anyone thinks anyway because I’m always going to bet on myself”: Jimmy Butler on Miami Heat’s title chances this year

Jimmy and his time at Minnesota

After 6 decent years with the Chicago Bulls to start his career, Jimmy found himself in Timberwolves.  But he couldn’t settle there. A tormenting year later, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers.

With the 5-time All-Star leaving Wolves, it wasn’t just the Timberwolves fans who had the bitter-sweet ending, his teammates who everyone would’ve thought would all be bitter with Jimmy then, were actually not.

Krawczynski and Iko continued “But Butler also had players in the locker room who backed him the whole way. They did not take Butler’s demands or antics personally, saying they understood that he was making a personal decision that he felt was best for his career.”

“Butler had kept the lines of communication open with his teammates, telling them that his decision had nothing to do with them, and that resonated with some players in the locker room who remain close to Butler to this day.” they said.

Butler was clear of his intentions, he just wanted to be in a better situation

Jimmy has always been a lucrative player for any franchise. His two quick moves in the space of two years do not indicate anything against his nature.

“’You understand that because in some way, some form or another, you are going to be in some type of situation like that in your career’” the ex-Wolves player said then when he was being openly chased by the Miami Heat.

“’Whether it’s free agency, whether it’s deciding if it’s time to hang it up or keep going. There are different situations where you’re going to have to put yourself first and this was that situation for him. Players understood that.’”

But the 5-time NBA-All Defensive star then got traded to Philadelphia 76ers to play with Simmons and Embiid, which, had it worked, would have been a nightmare trio, but Jimmy Buckets ended up going to Miami.

Also read: “Keep your hands to yourself”: Jimmy Butler hilariously shoves Kyle Lowry for an unsolicited love tap during Heat’s blowout of the Rockets in preseason

Jimmy finally found his home in Miami. He led his young Heat squad to the NBA finals in his first season. And solidified what already was a fact in the NBA, that he is the guy to lead a franchise chasing championship.

Post Edited By: Amulya Shekhar
Ben Simmons Jimmy Butler minnesota timberwolves Philadelphia 76ers

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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