Jimmy Butler Trade Good News for Towns and Wiggins

As has been widely reported, All-Star Jimmy Butler has been traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Philadelphia 76ers.

In the wake of this, some potential beneficiaries of his exit have paid tribute to Jimmy Butler. Somewhat surprisingly, Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns spoke positively about him.

“He’s one hell of a player,” Towns said Sunday. “I don’t know how many Jimmy Butlers there are in the world, so I think he’ll be missed.”

It’s unexpected to hear Towns praise Jimmy Butler, as the media has often speculated about friction between the two.

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What was clear, though, is that the two All-Stars didn’t work well together on the court. During Towns’ last full season without Butler, he averaged 25.1 points and 12.3 rebounds per game.

So far this season, Towns is only averaging 15.3 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. So although Butler is a loss for the Wolves, it’s an opportunity for Towns to step up.

Another player who could benefit from Butler’s departure is fifth-year forward Andrew Wiggins. With 21.3 points per game, Butler was Minnesota’s top scorer. However, before Butler arrived, Wiggins was the main attacking threat.

Back then, he averaged 23.6 points and 19.1 shots per game. So far this year, Wiggins is averaging 17 points and 15.2 shots per game.

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Wiggins, too, was full of praise for Butler. He said he is better equipped to lead the team for having played with Butler. As well as that, he told Joel Embiid that “if you’re going into battle, you want him on your side.”

“I learned a lot of things from him,” Wiggins said of Butler. “We made the playoffs, something we haven’t done in a long, long time. So I think it was a positive either way you put it.”