The Minnesota Timberwolves reached an agreement with the Philadelphia 76ers to send four-time All-Star Jimmy Butler to the City of Brotherly Love, reported ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski on Saturday.

Besides Butler, the Timberwolves will also add Justin Patton to the deal in exchange for Robert Covington, Dario Saric, Jerryd Bayless and a 2022 second-round draft pick. According to ESPN, if everything goes well, the trade will be completed on November 12, on which day physical exams will also happen. Butler may play his debut game for Philly on Wednesday against the Orlando Magic.

Why is it happening now?

Butler has been seeking a trade from Minnesota since summer and started a months-long drama since then. The Timberwolves were divided as to whether or not they should send him away: the team's president and head coach Tom Thibodeau wanted to keep Butler, while team owner Glen Taylor was open to trade, and pressed Thibodeau over it multiple times.

When a reliable offensive and defensive player like Butler is on the trading block, there are always teams interested and they came with sincere offers. The Miami Heat once came close to reaching a deal with Minnesota, which blew it up by raising the price again. The Houston Rockets even pitched an offer involving four future first-round picks but still received a no.

Meanwhile, the Timberwolves realized that keeping Butler had already hurt the franchise. The team is currently riding a five-game losing streak, their chemistry was a mess, and Karl-Anthony Towns, the young man expected to be the new leader of Minnesota, didn't know how to play with Butler on the court.

What motivated the Timberwolves more was that Derrick Rose seemed to be a better choice than Butler to run the team. Rose has played well recently, averaging 20+ points over the past three games, and he knows when and how to get Towns involved. 

According to ESPN, Thibodeau made the decision on Friday after realizing the team could not win with Butler. Negotiations over the deal happened between owners of the two teams, Minnesota's Taylor and Philadelphia's Josh Harris, along with other members of other management staff.

Is everyone happy now?

The Timberwolves sent Butler to the Eastern Conference instead of watching him (possibly) help a Western Conference rival. Also, two of the three players they will get from the trade, Covington and Saric, are not just quality role players, they are also exactly what the team needs the most: three-point shooters who can defend.

Minnesota's lack of front-line defense and reliable shooters has bothered the team this season. Covington has proven that he's a good choice in both aspects, and doesn't need to possess the ball at all times. Saric is a typical smart European big man who can shoot and pass. Minnesota possesses athleticism but Saric can add that missing piece of exquisiteness to the roster.

Butler should also be happy because one of the reasons he wanted to leave the Timberwolves was money. After the final year of his current contract, Butler can sign at most a five-year 190-million-US-dollar contract with the 76ers, while other teams can only offer 141 million for four years.

Things will get a little bit more complicated for Philadelphia. The good news is that they finally get what they need most: a player who can both score and orchestrate. Ben Simmons is a genius at orchestrating, especially in transition, but lacks shooting range, which limits his ability to attack. Joel Embiid is undoubtedly the best center in today's NBA and he has already scored over 39 points in three of the five games in November. However, you cannot expect a seven-foot center to do a guard's job.

Butler can do both, but there will be other problems. First, he will need to handle the ball, which means Simmons may become a liability on defense. Second, though Butler can shoot three-pointers, he is not known for his accuracy, and the 76ers this season already rank 21st in three-point shooting. Therefore, the team still needs to look for reliable shooters from the market, like Kyle Korver, whom the Cleveland Cavaliers wanted to trade.

Philadelphia's decision to make this deal is a sign that they are ready to chase the NBA Finals, instead of waiting for young players like Markelle Fultz to mature. They still have enough time to find out whether Butler will be worth the five-year max contract in the summer of 2019. As for Minnesota, they rid themselves of trouble in the locker room and acquire much-needed players, meaning Thibodeau has no excuses moving forward.