Jimmy Butler led the Miami Heat to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and now finds himself up against a familiar opponent in the second round as he takes on his former team in the Philadelphia 76ers.
Butler spent one season with the 76ers in 2018-19, immediately winning over the fanbase with his blue-collar approach to the game, establishing himself as one of the team's key leaders. But just as quickly as he'd arrived, he was gone, signing with the Miami Heat in free agency at the end of the season.
MORE: NBA Playoff schedule 2022: Full bracket, dates, times, TV channels
Despite his solid fit on the court and with the fans, Butler chose to leave one of the league's best teams to join a Heat team that had missed the playoffs that season, becoming the No. 1 option.
That decision ultimately paid off as he led them back into the playoffs the following season and took them to the NBA Finals in the 2020 Bubble.
Why exactly did Butler leave the Heat? Here's everything you need to know about his tumultuous year with the 76ers.
Why did Jimmy Butler leave the 76ers for the Heat?
Butler's short time in Philadelphia garnered immediate success as they won 51 games and finished with the third seed in the Eastern Conference, forming a strong lineup alongside Ben Simmons, JJ Redick, Tobias Harris and Joel Embiid.
Their playoff campaign ended in devastating fashion in Game 7 of the second round as Kawhi Leonard's four-bounce shot at the buzzer sent the Toronto Raptors into the Eastern Conference Finals, leaving the 76ers with some big questions to answer in the summer with several players heading into free agency.
MORE: Joel Embiid sidelined indefinitely with orbital fracture
Butler, Harris and Redick were all free agents in the summer, with Redick signing with the New Orleans Pelicans while Harris signed a max contract to remain in Philly.
Essentially, Butler grew frustrated with the 76ers front office and their reported questioning of whether they can "control him" if he resigned. He also didn't exactly see eye to eye with head coach Brett Brown, who he clashed with following a now-infamous film session.
"I didn't know who the f--- was in charge. I think that was my biggest thing," Butler said on a podcast with JJ Redick.
"I didn't know what the f--k to expect whenever I would go into the gym, whenever I'd go into the plane, whenever I'd go into the game. I was like: 'Man.' I think I was as lost as the next motherf------."
The most notable of his concerns came once the postseason arrived and Brown's decision to switch ball handlers in the playoffs. Simmons, who had been the primary ball-handler all season, was relegated to secondary playmaking duties with Butler running point in the playoffs — something Butler disagreed with.
"I don't think it was fair to switch over like that," Butler said. "The entire year, Ben had the ball. So you mean to tell me that in one playoff series, you just switch up like that? I would be like how [Ben Simmons] was, I would feel a type of way!"
MORE: Heat vs. 76ers: Series schedule and expert picks
Butler developed a strong relationship with big man Embiid during his stint in Philly and with the franchise effectively choosing Simmons over Butler, the 7-footer believes that it was a mistake to let him walk.
"We'll say that even going back to, I mean, the reason we signed Al (Horford) and got rid of Jimmy (Butler), which I still think was a mistake, just to make sure he needed the ball in his hands, and that's the decision they made, Embiid told Redick on the Old Man and the Three Podcast.
What did the 76ers trade for Jimmy Butler?
Butler, who agreed to a four-year, $142 million deal with the Heat in free agency, left town as part of a four-team deal including the Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, LA Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers.
Here's a look at the details of the trade:
Heat acquire:
- SG: Jimmy Butler
- C: Meyers Leonard
76ers acquire:
- SG: Josh Richardson
Trail Blazers acquire:
- Hassan Whiteside
Clippers acquire:
- Mo Harkless
- Protected 2023 first-round pick
In order to free up the necessary cap space to sign Butler, the Heat pulled off the four-team deal, sending Whiteside and Richardson to Portland and Philadelphia, respectively.
Richardson spent one season in Philadelphia before stints with the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics, eventually landing with the San Antonio Spurs at this year's trade deadline.
