Now that the Miami Heat season has come to a close, the off season is shaping up to be an instrumental one for Pat Riley and the rest of the front office. One aspect that will have more clarity to the future of the team is the contract situation involving Heat star Jimmy Butler.
In an effort to reach a new contract extension, it is reported by Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald that Butler is “expected to seek a maximum two-year contract extension worth about $113 million from the Heat this offseason, according to a league source.”
Butler is currently 34-years old, turning 35 in September, which means that the extension he is asking for would put him at 37-years old when it is all said and done. While Butler's team is giving that marker as an asking price, it still remains to be seen if the Heat would accept that offer as it seems more likely that they will negotiate.
Butler's current contract and how the extension he wants will impact it
There's no doubt that the two parties would want to figure out a contract as Butler's time in Miami has been an ultimate success leading to two NBA Finals appearances, despite not winning a single championship. However, the star's contract situation is complex filled with guaranteed money, a player option, and more as Chiang puts it.
“The three-year, $146.4 million extension that Butler signed with the Heat in the 2021 offseason includes a guaranteed $48.8 million salary for next season and a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season,” Chiang writes. “The extension that Butler will seek would replace his 2025-26 option and begin that season.”
“This two-year max extension would include salaries of $54.3 million for the 2025-26 season (nearly a $2 million increase from the player option in Butler’s current contract for that season) and $58.6 million for the 2026-2027 season when Butler will be 37 years old. Those numbers could fluctuate based on where the NBA’s salary cap is set for those seasons.”
Do the Heat have to take age in consideration for Butler extension?
The age is an important factor for the Heat to think about, even for Butler as well, as the star has experienced multiple injuries throughout the years, especially in this past season. He is still in the process of recovering from an MCL sprain that he suffered in the first play-in tournament game against the Philadelphia 76ers, not to mention the foot and other injuries sustained.
Miami could look at the age factor and ask for Butler and his team to sweeten the deal for them, but also find the balance where the Marquette product feels comfortable taking. Negotiations are likely to be ongoing, but the first opportunity for both parties to put pen to paper can be July 7 when the window to sign an extension opens.
The last thing the team wants is Butler to be frustrated by the contract talks which is an important note that Chiang wrote in his report. As said, the star and his team will “push for that extension before the start of the upcoming season” and that Miami not wanting to offer this “exact extension” might result in Butler feeling “disgruntled.”
“But the expectation is Butler and his camp will push for that extension before the start of the upcoming season,” Chiang said. “Choosing not to offer this exact extension this offseason could lead to a disgruntled Butler.”
A look at what Butler has done with the Heat so far
This pasts season, Butler has averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 5.0 assists per game while shooting 49.9 percent from the field as he played in 60 games. All of those main statistics are down from previous years with the Heat since his first year with the team in the 2019-20 season.
There has been a ton of discussions about Butler's worth among fans of the Heat where some think it's a no-brainer to give him whatever he wants. On the other hand, there are some that are frustrated with Miami's back-t0-back finish at the eighth seed and blame Butler for possibly slacking in the regular season.
However, Butler has had an endless amount of moments in the postseason which has dubbed him the name “Playoff Jimmy,” which was put on display in last year's playoffs where the Heat reached the NBA Finals, despite being the eighth seed. He led Miami to beat the No. 1 and 2 seeded teams in the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics along with taking down the New York Knicks in the semi-finals.
If there is one thing that Miami fans can agree on, Butler has become one of the greatest players to put on a Heat uniform as even the statistics prove it. In terms of the categories he is present in, he is in the all-time career regular-season leaders in categories like third in free throws made, eighth in assists, ninth in steals and even first in triple-doubles.
Butler will not be the only extension for Heat in horizon
Butler is not the only Heat player that is eligible to sign a contract extension as the other main one will be involving star big-man Bam Adebayo. However, Adebayo and the team are waiting to see if he will be able to sign a supermax contract or not as certain postseason honors will impact his chances.
If he is either on an All-NBA (first, second, third) team this season or the winner of Defensive Player of the Year, he will be eligible to sign a four-year, $245 million extension this off-season. For the second option, he is a finalist for the award along with Minnesota Timberwolves' Rudy Gobert and San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama.
However, if he does not achieve any of those honors, he will be three-year contract worth $165 million, as any extension would start in the 2026-27 season per Chiang. This season with the Heat, Adebayo averaged 19.3 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 52.1 percent from the field.
It is safe to say that the Heat have a lot of work to do this off-season as besides signing Butler and Adebayo to contract extensions, they will look to improve their team, possibly with another star on an elite level. It remains to be seen what will happen as the Heat are one day removed from their season ended at the hands of the Boston Celtics in the first round.
Follow Us
Subscribe