Less than a month into the season, Jimmy Butler was finally traded, as he was sent to Philadelphia along with Justin Patton for Dario Saric, Robert Covington and a second-round pick. For the Sixers, this was the move that figuratively completed “The Process.” They built a team around two fantastic top-three draft picks (Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons) and consolidated their assets into the “next star” to hit the trade market. The Process worked on paper, but was Butler the right star to pounce on?

Taking the glass-half-full view, Butler gives the 76ers the go-to fourth-quarter scorer they so desperately needed, as he leads the NBA in fourth-quarter scoring. Moreover, with Embiid established as the unequivocal team leader, Butler seems less likely to take over the locker room like he did in Minnesota. From a talent standpoint, the 76ers should now be a championship contender every season this core remains together. 

At the same time, this could all go horribly wrong. Butler’s often-abrasive leadership style could conflict with Embiid’s good-natured humor, his ball-dominating ways could tick off Simmons, and lord knows what a couple of Butler insults could do to Markelle Fultz’s confidence. Further, as ESPN's Kirk Goldsberry pointed out, Saric and Covington were ideal floor-spacers around Embiid and Simmons, whereas Butler has more of a mid-range game. There is a chance this could all implode and end with Butler walking in free agency this summer. 

For the T-Wolves, this move is as much about rejuvenating Karl-Anthony Towns and, to a lesser extent, Andrew Wiggins as it was about acquiring Saric and Covington. Despite praising Butler on the way out the door, Towns played like the weight of the world was off his shoulders in his first post-Butler game with a 25-point, 21-rebound performance. Wiggins, on the other hand, might just be the next Jeff Green. That’s why the Saric acquisition was important. Saric has the potential to be a very good stretch-four next to Towns. His playmaking skills were a little redundant with Simmons, so expect him to put up better numbers across the board in Minnesota. Covington is a perfect three-and-D wing and an All-NBA defender. Know who will love him? Tom Thibodeau.

This trade was coach Thibs’ last stand. He bet everything on Butler…and lost. His stubbornness caused him to pass on a trade for Josh Richardson and Goran Dragic, which would have been his best move. A year ago, Thibs was commended for the roster he put together at the time. Now, it’s a near certainty that he gets fired. The only way to save his job is to do what he does best and turn the roster before him into a defensive juggernaut. If he can get Towns and Wiggins to defend, then maybe he deserves to stay.

Which brings us to today's quiz of the day. While their divorce was ugly, Jimmy Butler developed from a late first-round pick into an All-Star under Thibodeau. So with that in mind, how many players who were not selected in the lottery portion of the NBA Draft but would go on to be named an All-Star at least once since 2000 can you name in five minutes?

Good luck!