Jimmy Butler put rumors of his chase of a max-level contract to rest after reports initially said the four-time All-Star was not content with the smaller sum the Minnesota Timberwolves offered him as part of a contract extension this summer. The brand new Philadelphia Sixers wing shot down any notion of chasing a big contract over the offseason, as he's eligible for a max-level deal at the end of the season.
“It’s not. I already got enough money to have me and my family for the rest of my life. It’s not about the money,” said Butler during his introductory press conference, according to ESPN's Tim Bontemps. “I’ve got to be able to love where I’m at and have a great chance to win a championship.”
Butler's championship chances are surely enhanced after surrounding himself with two of the brightest talents in the league, alongside two top-20 caliber players like Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
The two-way star was rumored to want a full-fledged five-year, $190 million with the Timberwolves, causing his fissure with the front office. The extension would have paid him nearly $50 million less, and with the then-impending max extension of Karl-Anthony Towns on the clock, it made it clear the Wolves had other priorities.
But Butler insisted he's a rather simple man, with his priorities being set in competition rather than in contract talks.
“I don’t do much, to tell you the truth,” said Butler. “I love dominoes, I like playing cards… I do that more often than anything. I still do drive a minivan, if you see that rolling around, that's likely me in it. That’s basically it.”
The Sixers will likely offer him a hefty sum at the end of the season in hopes to keep this new core together, but it's good to know he'll be willing to make some concessions if it came down to it.
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