Joel Embiid Reveals Sixers Got Rid of Jimmy Butler for Ben Simmons

A few years back, the Sixers were a devastating bounce away from forcing overtime in Game 7 against the Raptors. Had Kawhi Leonard's shot bounced out instead of in, the Sixers would have had a few more minutes to claim a victory and head to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Unfortunately, they lost then and proceeded to lose more in the offseason. It was a critical time for the 76ers. As key members of the team, including Tobias Harris, JJ Redick, and Jimmy Butler, were set to become free agents, Philly had to decide who to bring back.

Redick walked and joined the New Orleans Pelicans on a two-year deal. Harris re-signed with the 76ers on a max contract. Meanwhile, Butler decided to take his talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat via sign and trade.

Butler's departure was shocking. Although he was in Philly for such a short amount of time, he seemed he fit right into the Philly culture. Plus, he built a strong bond with the Sixers' top star, Joel Embiid. However, the Butler era in South Philly was short-lived.

What went wrong between Butler and the Sixers was a mystery. For a while, the veteran All-Star didn't want to talk about it. Over time, it became clear that several factors led to Butler's desire to be sent to Miami.

One, Butler didn't see eye to eye with former 76ers head coach Brett Brown. And two, Butler heard that some of the higher-ups in the organization were concerned that they wouldn't be able to "control him," which rubbed him the wrong way.

Before, it seemed the Sixers never had a chance to salvage the situation with Butler and bring him back on a long-term deal. However, Joel Embiid revealed that might not have been the case. 

When asked about a recent report regarding Ben Simmons' desire to split with Joel Embiid because he believes they can no longer coexist on the court, Embiid responded with a long-winded answer in disagreement. During his rant, Embiid revealed that the Sixers essentially picked Butler over Simmons a couple of years ago, which the veteran center thinks is a mistake to this day.

"It was kind of surprising to see," Embiid said in regards to The Athletic report, which suggested Simmons cannot play alongside Embiid anymore. "We'll say that even going back to, I mean, the reason we signed Al (Horford) and got rid of Jimmy (Butler), which I still think was a mistake, just to make sure he needed the ball in his hands, and that's the decision they made. Like I said, it is surprising."

Embiid has made it very clear over the last two years that he believes the Sixers made a mistake getting rid of Butler. Now, the veteran center hints the Sixers did it because Ben Simmons needed to be the ball-handler. 

It was always suggested the Sixers picked Simmons over Butler, but it was never confirmed. Joel Embiid might not be in Philly's front office, but it's hard to believe he doesn't have good intel on personnel moves. 

Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.