76ers officially acquire Butler in trade involving Covington, Saric

PHILADELPHIA (WTXF/AP) - The Philadelphia 76ers have officially acquired four-time NBA All-Star Jimmy Butler in a trade.

Butler has been traded to the 76ers in a package that will send Dario Saric, Robert Covington, Jerryd Bayless, and a 2022 second round draft pick to the Timberwolves.

The Sixers will also receive Justin Patton, a 21-year-old center, in the deal.

Philadelphia's "Process" led it to the second round of the playoffs last season behind two of the game's youngest, brightest stars in big man Joel Embiid and point guard Ben Simmons. Butler, an elite wing and outstanding defender, will join them in a quest to rule the Eastern Conference now that LeBron James has left that league to join the Los Angeles Lakers following eight straight trips to the NBA Finals with Miami and Cleveland.

The next step for 76ers General Manager Elton Brand will be coming to an agreement on an extension for Butler, a pending free agent who made clear to Minnesota that he would not be re-signing there in 2019.

Butler has played in 10 games this season, averaging 21.3 points. Butler, who turned 29 on Sept. 14, has been an All-Star in each of the last four seasons.

Philadelphia will become Butler's third team, after Chicago and Minnesota. He's a career 16.5 point-per-game scorer, though that is skewed by his first two seasons that were very meager on the scoring front. He's on pace this season to average at least 20 points for the fifth consecutive year.

Saric is in his third season and averaging 11.1 points, shooting only 36 percent. Covington had been a starter for Philadelphia for the bulk of the last four-plus seasons and is averaging 11.3 points per game this year.

Butler and Patton will be introduced at a press conference Tuesday at the 76ers training complex in Camden. Both are expected to be available to play when the 76ers take on the Orlando Magic on Wednesday.