The trade acquisition of Jimmy Butler in November 2018 from the Minnesota Timberwolves secured the Philadelphia 76ers the wing player they were pining for to add to the generational talents they already possess in 24 year old Joel Embiid and 22 year old Ben Simmons.

The 76ers by which they are commonly known as, has been a successful franchise having won 3 NBA championships and being represented by some of the best players in NBA history including Wilt Chamberlain, Julius Erving and Allen Iverson. Their last NBA title came back in 1983 and have since only been to 1 NBA final, eventually losing 4-1 to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2001.

In recent years however, they have consistently been one of the worst teams in the NBA winning only 10 games in the 2015/16 season. Former general manager Sam Hinkie decided to rebuild the entire roster and plan for the future. The rebuild was dubbed “The Process” where the 76ers were accused of deliberately losing games in order to gain higher picks in the NBA draft. After drafting players like Michael Carter Williams and Jahlil Okafor who turned out to be busts, the 76ers struck gold in the 2015 NBA draft with the pick of the Cameroonian centre Joel Embiid and found luck once again after drafting 6’9 point guard Ben Simmons first overall in the 2016 NBA draft.

The 76ers has the future in the palms of their hands with Embiid and Simmons who have the winning mentality and ability to dominate the Eastern Conference for the next 10 years. Despite their world class talent, the team was missing a dynamic wing scorer who can draw defenders away from the likes of Embiid and Simmons. That wing scorer turned out to be NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler who they acquired in a trade in which they had to give up Robert Covington and Dario Saric, both reliable 3 point shooters and defenders but not to the extent and intensity of Butler.

The pressure is now on for Philly’s young stars to deliver what the city of Philadelphia has been waiting 34 years for. The addition of Butler legitimises the “Big Three” in Philadelphia that can compete with anyone in the NBA including the juggernauts and current champions, the Golden State Warriors.

“The Process” has been widely reported on in the world of Basketball and time will tell if the Process will ever be completed.