Report: Jimmy Butler, Wolves, to be traded to 76ers against Robert Covington and more | Bleacher's report

The Timberwolves of Minnesota would have traded their shooting guard Jimmy Butler to the 76ers of Philadelphia.

By Shams Charania athletics and stadium, the Sixers will send Robert Covington, Dario Saric and Jerryd Bayless in Minnesota for Butler.

ESPN Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe confirmed the deal, adding that Minnesota would receive a second-round pick in 2022 and send Justin Patton to Philadelphia.

By Wojnarowski, the 76ers have reached agreement with the intention of finding a third star with which to play Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons and should agree with Butler on a long-term contract extension this summer.

Charania Philadelphia and Minnesota scheduled a commercial call with the NBA on Monday to officially announce the deal.

"After a 5-game winless trip that ended in defeat in Sacramento on Friday night, Tom Thibodeau realized that the Wolves could not win with Butler in this dysfunctional environment," said He told his associates that Minny would not play another game – a game with Butler ", according to Wojnarowski.

Bayless might not play for Timberwolves. Wojnarowski and Lowe have pointed out that the 30-year-old could be suspended, but Minnesota is still deciding his options.

By the SuperBook Westgate Las Vegas (h / t ESPN.com), the 76ers' standing to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA finals went from 7-1 to 3-1 and won the NBA title from 30-1 to 16-1.

In exchanging Butler, Minnesota assured that he would not lose it without compensation, as he could terminate his contract and become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the 2018-1919 season.

So far this season, Butler is averaging 21.3 points and 5.2 rebounds in 10 games. The Wolves and Sixers will play on January 15 and March 30, the date marking Butler's return to Minnesota.

In September, Wojnarowski reported that the 29-year-old had met with T-Wolves head coach Tom Thibodeau to discuss his future with the team.

Wojnarowski noted that although Butler and Thibodeau had a solid relationship, the player's partnership with Karl-Anthony Towns was "tense".

Later, Wojnarowski reported that Butler had requested an exchange, with the Los Angeles Clippers being his favorite destination – although he also expressed interest in the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets.

In addition, Wojnarowski said that although Thibodeau wanted to keep Butler, Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor wanted to move him.

The Timberwolves and Miami Heat were preparing for an agreement with Butler, but Wojnarowski wrote on October 8 that he collapsed in the final stages.

After the start of the 2018-2019 campaign, Wojnarowski announced that the Houston Rockets had made an offer of four first-round picks for Butler.

Before the 2017-18 season, the Timberwolves had bought Butler and the Chicago Bulls No. 16 (now Patton) choice in exchange for guards Kris Dunn and Zach LaVine and choice # 7 (now striker Lauri Markkanen) . .

Knowing the status of Butler's contract, it was an all-in-one approach by the Timberwolves team who desperately wanted to take advantage of the playoffs for the first time since 2003-04.

The deal paid off for Minnesota, averaging 22.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2 steals per game en route for its fourth consecutive row of the stars.

Minnesota also reached the playoffs as No. 8 seed before being ousted in five games by the Houston Rockets in the first round.

Although Butler brought the T-Wolves back to the playoffs, he did not connect with Towns and Andrew Wiggins to make the team a true competitor in the Western Conference.

In addition, Minnesota is separated from a ton of talent to obtain it.

Dunn, LaVine and Markkanen were all n ° 13 or more in the repechage and all three have performed well for the Bulls since trading.

Considering how the situation between Butler and Minnesota seemed untenable, it is an excellent value for the Timberwolves. Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins will lead the franchise in the future.

Saric has a slow start this season with 11.1 points per game, but he broke last season with 14.6 points per game, with a percentage of 45.3 for field placement and a percentage of three points for the match of 39.3. The 24-year-old enjoyed his best game this season with 18 points and nine rebounds in a 133-132 overtime victory over the Charlotte Hornets.

Covington was named to the NBA's first all-defensive team in 2017-18 and posts a 39.0% record of his career behind the career-high arc this season.

The Timberwolves were rewarded for a player they knew would not sign with them.

Timberwolves still have a core capable of accomplishing great things in the years to come, while the Sixers have added a star player who can help them get deeper into the playoffs. They have a respectable start of 8-5, but the offensive ranks 21st in efficiency with 106.8 points for 100 possessions.

The 76ers made an energetic decision in acquiring Butler, which will join the Embiid and Simmons centers to form one of the NBA's leading grassroots groups.

Philly has taken a big step forward by resuming the playoffs last season and reaching the second round. Butler could be just what she needs to compete for an NBA finals.