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Philadelphia 76ers guard Jimmy Butler is bound to face a rollercoaster summer at the end of this season, bound to opt out of the last year of his contract in hopes to secure a long-term deal to set up the biggest deal of his career. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, the L.A. Clippers and the Brooklyn Nets have some “serious interest” in acquiring the two-way star in July, according to Marc Stein of The New York Times.
While Sixers general manager Elton Brand said he intends to keep both Butler and Tobias Harris playing together with the core of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, the long-term financial ramifications of signing Butler and Harris to multi-year deals could result in luxury tax purgatory in the near future.
“Brand has said repeatedly that he hopes to keep Philadelphia’s new core four together, but Butler is expected to attract serious interest from both Los Angeles teams as well as the Nets,” wrote Stein. “The Clippers’ special adviser Jerry West, to name one prominent fan, is said to be a longtime admirer of Butler’s two-way impact.”
West has been making all the right calls for the Clippers, from trading Blake Griffin to doing the same with Harris, while still managing to build a winning culture, open up two max slots AND making the playoffs in a crowded West.
Pairing Butler with a cemented coach like Doc Rivers could be a match made in heaven — both fiery personalities, competitive, and highly intelligent.
The Lakers will be aiming Magic Johnson in every possible direction, despite the recent disinterest from NBA free agents to wind up in purple and gold.
The Nets might not be the sexiest option in New York, but they should be. They have the best core, a likely spot in the playoffs, and two max spots to pair Butler with a star of his preference.
Philadelphia will ultimately have to choose between signing Butler or Harris to a long-term deal, as both players stand to make around $190 million over a five-year deal in the offseason.
