It's only been about two weeks since the Philadelphia 76ers landed Jimmy Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves, ridding the latter of a disgruntled star and injecting another big name into their own lineup.
One of Butler's most prominent former teammates, however, thinks the four-time All-Star's move will be a "win-win" for everyone all season. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, Dwyane Wade is a big fan of the Butler trade for both the Sixers, the Timberwolves and Jimmy Buckets himself, saying Philadelphia is "a place and a culture where he can ... really help you" and be a "winner."
A three-time NBA champion who was once teammates with Butler in Chicago, Wade is back with the Miami Heat this season and therefore will be competing with Butler's Sixers in the Eastern Conference. Yet he's all about Butler finding a new home with the 76ers, who play the Cavaliers on Friday (7:30 p.m. ET, watch on fuboTV with the NBA League Pass extension).
"I don't know what all happened (in Minnesota)," Wade said. "From afar, it was definitely not good from a media standpoint, everything that was coming out of there. The biggest thing was to get to this point where they're at now. For me, I wanted him to get there faster. I know Jimmy. I know his heart. I know what kind of competitor he is, but also I know Jimmy as well, and I know how tough he is."
And as for the Timberwolves, who were all but forced to deal their most established scorer once Butler wanted out? Wade thinks they're better off for the long haul, too.
"I'm sure it was a tough situation, but now you can see that Minnesota and their young guys are getting back to their comfort zone," he said. "They went to the playoffs last year, so they've seen somebody who works hard and they know how to do it."
The Timberwolves next play Saturday (8 p.m. ET, watch on fuboTV with League Pass extension), when the host the Bulls. That means they'll see Zach LaVine, the young shooting guard who was a big part of the Butler trade last year. Lauri Markkanen and Kris Dunn, the two other players the Bulls received in the deal, are both injured.
