Sixers news: 76ers had interest in re-signing Jimmy Butler to max contract

The Sixers reportedly had interest in re-signing Jimmy Butler to a max contract extension this past summer, but he signed with the Heat.

The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly had interest in re-signing Jimmy Butler to a max contract extension this past summer, but the Sixers instead pivoted to re-signing Tobias Harris once negotiations with Butler reached an impasse, according to Nick Friedell of ESPN.

Butler signed a four-year max contract with the Miami Heat. The Sixers and Heat agreed to a sign-and-trade deal:

Then Jimmy Butler was an almost immediate mismatch for Philadelphia 76ers head coach Brett Brown, and he struggled to find his place within the young core of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. The Sixers had interest in bringing Butler back on a max extension, according to a league source, but after negotiations hit an impasse, they opted to lock up Tobias Harris on the first night of free agency.

Butler and the Heat are 35-18 on the season. They are in fourth place in the East. The Sixers are right below Miami. They are in fifth place with a record of 33-21.

Butler is averaging 20.5 points, 6.8 rebounds and 6.2 assists on the season. He's shooting 45.6 percent from the field, 25.5 percent from beyond the arc and 83.7 percent from the free-throw line.

The five-time All-Star has hinted that something happened behind the scenes in Philly that helped him decide to leave the Sixers for the Heat. However, Jimmy won't snitch on what happened.