4 Offseason moves that could prevent the Boston Celtics from repeating
By Ray Petree
Jimmy Butler returns to the Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers future is uncertain. The only player of consequence left under contract, as of right now, is Joel Embiid — whose injuries have plagued the ‘Sixers for a full decade now. However, it seems like it’s only a matter of time until Tyrese Maxey, a restricted free agent this summer, will be re-signed.
The talk of the NBA this summer is Jimmy Butler, whose apparent divorce from the Miami Heat has been well documented — thanks in large part to comments made by Pat Riley. In Butler’s lone season with the Philadelphia 76ers, the team was one incredible shot by Kawhi Leonard away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals; a plateau that they’ve still been unable to reach under Embiid’s stead.
Butler has a history of terrorizing the Boston Celtics, having played them four times in the postseason. Twice, Butler’s teams were victorious. A trio of Embiid, Maxey, and Butler could be frightening in the Eastern Conference; if the ‘Sixers’ President of Basketball Operations, Daryl Morey, is able to build a competent cast around their immense talents.
As the Celtics demonstrated this year, it takes a complete team effort for a team to win an NBA championship. The Sixers would need strong ancillary role players to accentuate their core, but Jimmy Butler would bring much-needed leadership to a team struggling to find a consistent — healthy voice.