Jimmy Butler's arrival at South Beach with the Miami Heat might have had more to do with personal reasons than finding his own basketball nirvana. The 6-foot-7 forward had the chance to sign a five-year, $190 million deal to remain with the Philadelphia 76ers, but opted to take much less in a sign-and-trade that sent him to Miami, only recently hinting at some potential turmoil in The City of Brotherly Love.
“Stuff just don’t work out. Nobody knows what really went on in Philly and we’re going to leave it that way,” Butler told Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports. “But it was a great opportunity for me.”
Butler was pressed on what happened but refused to go further into it. Butler left nearly $50 million on the table — the deal that could have been by far the biggest of his NBA career — but he chose to join the Heat, an organization that concurred with his values as an athlete and a professional.
“Just go with your gut. You’re not dumb. All of that will come out whenever it’s time,” said Butler. “Right now is not the time. I’m locked in with this. I’m happy, man. I’m smiling and my guys want me to be here, my organization wants me to be here, I want to be here and we’re going to ride this thing until the wheels fall off.”
Whatever beef Butler might have had in Philly, it wasn't with Embiid — as the All-Star recently had some fun with a fight between two of his former teammates, including Minnesota's Karl-Anthony Towns.
“I’m not saying Philly wasn’t great, man. We had some really good players,” said Butler. “I talk to Joel [Embiid] damn near every f***ing day. It’s a brotherhood, man. I love that guy. I’m going to always have his back and I know he’ll always have mine.”
Butler's semi-cryptic decision to reveal former disagreements comes as a surprise, with his Miami Heat (5-1) now second in the East and trailing his former team, the Sixers. Yet Butler has never been one to shy away from drama, even if it's bound to have its share of consequences.
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