ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith Thinks Philadelphia 76ers Could Regret Trading Jimmy Butler To Miami Heat

Stephen A. Smith thinks letting Jimmy Butler go was the Philadelphia 76ers’ “biggest regret”

Though James Harden has been the Philadelphia 76ers’ best player lately, it has some NBA pundits concerned.

While the 76ers are tied at 2 against the Boston Celtics entering Game 5 Tuesday, there are people who don’t believe they can win the series. One of them is ESPN’s First Take host Stephen A. Smith.

“The Boston Celtics, to me, are the better team,” Smith said. “Got love for Philly, wouldn’t be mad at all if Philly won. Rooting for Doc Rivers, my man, my brother.”

Even though Joel Embiid is the 76ers’ leading scorer, Harden is carrying the 76ers through the semifinals. In the 76ers’ Game 1 and 4 victories, Harden recorded 40-point games which alone barely got them a win.

If Harden’s performances don’t lead the 76ers’ to the Eastern Conference Finals, they might regret trading Jimmy Butler to the Miami Heat.

"If the Sixers don't win, one of the biggest regrets they will live with in franchise history is letting Jimmy Butler walk out that door.”

Right now, Butler is arguably the best player in the playoffs. He is second in scoring with an average of 34 points, behind Phoenix Suns’ guard Devin Booker. The Heat are one win from the Eastern Conference finals after taking a 3-1 lead against the New York Knicks. 

Even though Butler played only 55 games with the 76ers, he was a huge piece for them in the playoffs. When he joined the 76ers, the duo of him and Embiid were one of the best in the NBA.

“If Jimmy Butler never departed from the Philadelphia 76ers, the 76ers would have been back in the Finals and they probably would win the title,” Smith continued. “If Jimmy Buckets had stayed there with Joel Embiid. That’s how important Jimmy Buckets is.”

Cory Nelson is a contributor to Inside The Heat. He attended Northern Virginia Community College. He can be reached at corymckenzienelson@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @CKenzyNelson. You can also check out his personal blog HERE.