As Brooklyn Nets fans look forward to games for the upcoming season, there could be something else to look forward to when it comes to the 2025 free agency period. Among the possible free agents, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler amidst his contract controversy could be a player that might be interested in Brooklyn as a possible destination according to Brian Lewis of The New York Post.
“The six-time All-Star is the most accomplished standout on that list not named James, and he likes Brooklyn, according to sources close to the player,” Lewis wrote via Legion Hoops on their X, formerly Twitter, account.
Butler was initially seeking a new sizable contract extension after the season where the Heat lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Boston Celtics. The star wouldn't play that series as he dealt with an MCL sprain in the first play-in tournament game and missed the rest of the postseason, but the Heat wouldn't budge leading to Butler choosing to play out this season and looking for a big deal at the end of next season according to Shams Charania.
“Jimmy Butler, he's going to play out next season under his current contract with the Heat,” Charania said. “I'm told he will not be signing an extension with the Heat or any other team ahead of his opt-out in 2025 free agency. This clears up any notion of a trade demand out of Jimmy Butler. He intends to play out next season.”
Heat's Pat Riley non-committal in giving Jimmy Butler contract extension
Miami Heat president Pat Riley was non-commital in his end of season press conference in May about the team giving Butler a contract extension. Riley would cite player availability as a risk where besides being highly successful in this stint, Butler hasn't played more than 64 games in a season for Miami (played in 60 last season).
“Well, you know, we don't have to do that for a year and so we have not discussed that internally right now but we have to look at that and then making that kind of commitment,” Riley said. “We don't have to do it until 25 actually, but we'll see. We haven't made a decision on it. And we really haven't really in earnest. discussed it. So we'll see what happens.”
“Well, I mean, if you request we can either accept or we can say we're going to think about it,” Riley continued. “We've not made a decision on it and I think you can make too much out of this. You still got two years left on the contract…I don't want to go through the litany of factors right now because they all go up into different hypotheticals, but yeah, that's a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you're somebody who's really going to be there and available every single night, that's the truth.”
It remains to be seen what will happen with the Nets and Butler, but the team will focus on the season ahead of them.
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