The last two playoffs couldn't have gone much different for Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat. Butler's Heat were the darlings of the bubble, pulling off multiple upsets to get to the NBA Finals before losing to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games. This time around, Butler suffered through an absolute debacle of a first-round sweep at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks, who got their sweet revenge on Miami.
Butler shot under 30% against the Bucks in the sweep, constantly getting stymied by Giannis Antetokounmpo and a swarming defense. He didn't even outscore Bryn Forbes. Given this disaster, one might consider Butler to be rather audacious for seeking a four-year extension worth over $180 million in the offseason, which is what he's expected to do.
While this seems crazy after Butler's poor playoff performance, the Heat shouldn't hesitate when it comes to locking up one of their cornerstone stars for the long haul.
It's easy to use recency bias and think Butler isn't worth it after sucking it up against Milwaukee. But what happened in the bubble shouldn't be discounted, even if it was a unique scenario. Also, let's not forget that Butler just had one of his best campaigns during a difficult season in which he missed time due to COVID-19.
Butler's return from COVID-19 helped save the Heat from a nightmare start to the season. He averaged 21.5 points, 7.1 assists, 6.9 rebounds and 2.1 assists while shooting nearly 50% from the field. He was a dominant two-way force who had a net rating swing of over 11 points per 100 possessions when comparing his time on the court versus on the bench in the regular season.
Yes, Butler will be 32 to start next season. His hard-charging style has led to a number of injuries throughout the years, so that's something to consider as he gets later into his 30s. The disappearance of his 3-point shot is problematic, and he has had his clashes in prior stops.
Still, Butler should have several elite seasons left in him. We know how hard he works to take care of his body and what he means to #HeatCulture. The Heat have two cornerstones in place in Butler and Bam Adebayo, and their goal should be to do whatever it takes to find a legit third star next to them so they can contend in the coming years as Adebayo hits his prime. Taking care of Butler should also help avoid any unnecessary drama.
There are some drawbacks to paying Butler, but Miami shouldn't use them and the small sample size of this postseason mess as a reason not to do it. Pay that man his money.
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