If there's anything that's becoming more permanent in the NBA, it's player movement. Stars move from one squad to another whether it's due to fit, salary, or competitiveness. With free agency looming, a lot of current players are obviously demanding more. Jimmy Butler clearly knows his worth and has made it public to the Miami Heat. While there seems to be a lot of back-and-forth between him and Pat Riley, one front office managed to take advantage of the situation. It is none other than the Joel Embiid-led Philadelphia 76ers.
An offer from the 76ers that Jimmy Butler can't deny
The 76ers are prepared to offer Jimmy Butler a max contract extension if the Heat trade him. He already sees joining Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey as a fallback option. This is in case his relationship with Pat Riley's Heat doesn't net him any more cash. Furthermore, a big and what looks a non-negotiable for the current Heat star is getting a max deal.
Jimmy Butler made it very clear that he wants a max extension this offseason, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. He still prefers the Heat as a landing spot. But, he is likely going to take any squad's offer as long as it falls within the value of his expected deal. If that does not happen, he is also likely to decline the player option that Pat Riley and the rest of the Heat front office might give. In that situation, free agency in 2025 is going to be the next step. He will try to net a maximum deal then.
The Heat have his contract valued at $48.8 million for the next season. His player option with his current squad also clocks in at around $52.2 million. But, if reports are true, the 76ers could dwarf this offer. They could give him a minimum $113 million deal that spans for two years.
Butler could be a nice addition to help this squad finally get over their second-round hump. They are also going to form a trio that is surely going to rival the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Milwaukee Bucks. All of that relies on whatever cards the Heat are willing to deal their star player.
His year with the Heat
It was not the ideal year for Butler and the Heat. They were crumbling in late-game situations and their depth clearly was not there during the regular season. Add the fact that he also sprained his MCL in the NBA Play-In Tournament and it made for a season-ending disaster.
Before going down, Butler still produced serviceable numbers. He knocked down 49.9% of his shots from all three levels of scoring and had a 41.4% clip from outside. All of that added up to 20.8 points and an offensive gravity which helped him drop five assists on a nightly basis.
On defense, his tenacity never left. Butler had a keen eye for the passing lane and movements of his opponents to average 1.3 steals per contest.
All of these are nice but he can still clearly be back in All-Star form.
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