On Nov. 13 in 2018, the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Jimmy Butler in a stunning trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves. The franchise also received Justin Patton in exchange for Jerryd Bayless, Robert Covington, Dario Šarić and a 2022 second-round draft pick
The deal was done nearly two months after Butler had reportedly requested for a trade from the Timberwolves.
“Jimmy Butler is one of the NBA’s truly elite players," 76ers co-managing partner David Blitzer said as the franchise announced the deal. "A player capable of changing the game on both ends of the floor. We’re excited that he’s now a Sixer as we continue our quest of winning an NBA title."
Butler made his 76ers debut a couple of days later on Nov. 14, finishing with 14 points, four rebounds and two assists as the 76ers came up short in Orlando, 111-106. A few days later, he looked more comfortable in his home debut and recorded a game-high 28 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the field as the 76ers beat the Jazz, 113-107.
The 76ers, who would be Butler's third team in as many seasons, were already considered among the top contenders with the duo of Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. The team was 9-6 at the time of acquiring Butler and would go on to win 13 of their next 19 games.
The team would finish the season with a 51-31 record, the first time since 1986 that the franchise recorded consecutive 50-win seasons. However, their season ended in gut-wrenching fashion in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, courtesy of a buzzer-beating game-winner by Kawhi Leonard.
After the season, the 76ers didn't re-sign Butler. Instead, they traded him to the Miami Heat as part of a four-team trade involving the LA Clippers and the Portland Trail Blazers.
With the Heat, which would be his fourth team in as many seasons, Butler averaged 19.9 points, 6.7 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.8 steals in 52 games. In what seemed like a marriage made in heaven, he led the team to the 2020 NBA Finals - the franchise's sixth overall and Butler's first - where they would lose in six games to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Other notable events on Nov. 13
- In 1994, All-Star balloting extended beyond the United States for the first time. Ballots were made available to fans at Foot Locker stores in Mexico, Puerto Rico, Canada and Australia.
- In 2008, Dwight Howard stuffed the stat sheet to finish with 30 points, 19 rebounds, 10 blocks and three assists in a 109-92 win for the Orlando Magic against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
31 PTS & 31 REB. Kevin Love was BALLIN'. 😤 #TeamDay | @Timberwolves pic.twitter.com/FoPXLzumxi
— NBA TV (@NBATV) August 4, 2019
- In 2010, Kevin Love became the 19th player in NBA history and the first since 1982 to finish with a 30-30 game. He set a Timberwolves franchise record for rebounds in a single game and became the first player since Charles Barkley in 1996 to pull down 31 rebounds.
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