ARGUMENT: The argument in favor of the Sixers acquiring Jimmy Butler is simply that he is, well, Jimmy Butler.

Get me Jimmy.

By now, you’re likely aware of the Sixers’ rumored interest in three players according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst: Paul George of the L.A. Clippers (anticipated to receive a max contract offer from the Sixers by Windy), the controversial Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat, and the New Orleans Pelicans’ “star” Brandon Ingram.

This piece is part of a pro-con series I’m tackling with my esteemed colleague, Harrison Grimm. Below, Grimm outlines why a trio consisting of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Butler would be thrilling, but perhaps best reserved for imagination.

Here’s the argument in favor of Jimmy.

Point one: Paul George would be better?

Grimm convincingly argued in his piece against Butler that George presents a superior option. Using the formal Latin debate term, let’s assume the PG plan.

Personally, I believe Butler is better overall than PG. However, I’m not entirely convinced he’ll age as gracefully. Additionally, I agree that PG is a better theoretical fit due to his ability to excel in shooting threes and not requiring as much offensive possession.

Considering PG’s free agency status, persuading him to choose Philadelphia over other enticing destinations like Los Angeles, New York, Miami, or elsewhere would be a significant victory for the Sixers. Moreover, acquiring him would allow the team to retain the potential haul of up to five first-round picks in the upcoming NBA Draft.

So, if the question is whether to pursue PG alongside other players using the draft picks, versus acquiring Butler using those same picks, I gladly defer to Grimm’s alternative scenario.

However, Windhorst’s speculation that the Sixers are gearing up to offer a max contract to PG in June implies that Morey may have already factored this into his plans. Therefore, even considering Butler here almost inevitably means PG is not an option.

In such a scenario, Jimmy becomes a fallback plan with significant potential upside.

Point two: he’s ‘literally Jimmy’ (shrug)

Amidst all the debates about fit, hierarchy, Maxey’s progression, or creating space for Embiid, it’s crucial not to overanalyze this situation—similar to what the Sixers or certain hosts of popular Sixers podcasts did back in the summer of ’19.

The undeniable truth is that Butler has been one of the NBA’s top five players over the past five years. Player impact is most evident in the postseason, and few players have had a greater impact since Sixers’ owner Josh Harris allowed Butler to depart five years ago.

Here’s a short list of players who have outperformed and defeated Butler in a playoff series since he left Philly: LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic. Notably, all three went on to win NBA Finals MVP.

The regrettable reality is that Embiid has yet to experience a postseason run matching Butler’s standout playoff performances.

Even more disheartening is the fact that, if acquired, Butler is a solid bet to be the Sixers’ top performer come spring of ’25—a fact that needs little explanation. Imagine having the opportunity to add a player who might outshine Joel during the most crucial games of the season and hesitating for… unspecified reasons?

Kevin Durant hasn’t had a greater impact than JB over the past five years. If you believe that Jokic, Luka, and Curry have, that’s your prerogative. But those players aren’t even rumored to be available. This superstar might be.

Butler led his team to the NBA Finals twice in four seasons and guided them to three Eastern Conference Finals appearances in a four-year span.

JB’s presence has elevated players like Duncan Robinson, Max Strus, Gabe Vincent, P.J. Tucker, Caleb Martin, and others, enabling them to secure contracts they might not have elsewhere.

Without Butler, instead of “Heat Culture,” the mantra down in South Beach would likely be “LeBron and D-Wade were once here.”

We’re not discussing Bradley Beal, Russell Westbrook, an aging James Harden, or any other big-name player billed as “the third star.” Comparisons to teams like Phoenix or the Clippers (who lost their best player, Kawhi Leonard, to injury) don’t hold much weight here.

If your best player is sidelined, your chances of winning the title diminish. So, consider a broader range of examples before dismissing a multi-star model that has yielded the vast majority of championships since the Magic, Worthy, Kareem, or Bird, Parish, McHale era.

We’re talking about “literally Jimmy,” after all.