The Sixers wound up winning the Jimmy Butler sweepstakes but the Timberwolves certainly had plenty of offers.
As the saga went on and on, Minnesota spoke with the Rockets, the Pelicans and the Sixers' opponent Monday night, the Heat, according to a story from The Athletic.
While getting Robert Covington and Dario Saric is a solid return (in addition to the expiring contrac of Jerryd Bayles and 2022 second-round pick), one of the other offers make it appear that Tom Thibodeau and company may have overplayed their hand.
The most appealing offer was likely from Miami. The Heat offered Josh Richardson, a promising, young, two-way wing on an extremely team-friendly deal, and a first-round pick back in early October. Per the Athletic, the deal fell apart because Thibodeau got greedy and asked for more.
This is the deal the T-Wolves should've pulled the trigger on. Richardson is an attractive player simply because of his play. He's blossoming into a star this season, averaging 20.8 points a game. With Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns already maxed out, Minnesota could've used a good player on an attractive deal.
The offers probably weren't much better than what the T-Wolves ultimately got. Houston offered four first-round picks and two players that don't move the needle to start. They then offered the struggling Eric Gordon, Nene and two firsts. The other Heat offer involved Goran Dragic, Justise Winslow and a pick. New Orleans offered Nikola Mirotic, who's really revived his career with the Pelicans, and an unprotected first-round pick.
The other interesting nugget from the article is that Butler's agent, Bernie Lee, seemed to be the biggest facilitator in getting Butler to the Sixers. Lee brought the Sixers up as a destination early in the process and got the teams talking after he was granted permission to seek a trade.
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Considering how poorly Minnesota played it, getting Covington and Saric is a fine deal. Especially for a guy like Thibodeau who's likely coaching for his job and can't afford to wait on draft picks and developing players.
For Elton Brand and the Sixers, it appears their patience paid off.
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