Jimmy Butler situation continues to evolve, as extension question looms over Butler and Heat

The busy part of the NBA offseason is still about a month away. But the noise surrounding Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler’s situation continues to grow.

With Butler seeking a two-year maximum contract extension worth approximately $113 million from the Heat this offseason, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported Tuesday that the Philadelphia 76ers “are willing to give Butler a maximum salary extension if things align and he forces a trade out of Miami Pompey added that the 76ers are “viewing (Butler) as a fallback option if they fail to sign Paul George in free agency.” “.

Besides the 76ers, according to league sources, two other teams have made it known in league circles that they would be willing to trade for Butler and sign him to a max-level contract. Butler will turn 35 on September 14.

Despite the outside interest, Butler and his agent Bernie Lee have made it clear multiple times – publicly and privately – that he wants to spend the remainder of his NBA career with the Heat. But choosing not to offer Butler a max extension this offseason could derail those plans, especially with other teams seemingly willing to accommodate his request.

The maximum two-year extension that Butler and his camp will seek this offseason includes salaries of $54.3 million for the 2025-2026 season (nearly $2 million increase over the player option that (she would replace in Butler’s current contract for this season) and $58.6 million for the 2026-2027 season when Butler is 37 years old. He is already under contract with the Heat at a salary of $48.8 million for next season.

So, essentially, Butler will be asking the Heat to replace the two years and $101.2 million remaining on his contract (if he exercises the 2025-26 player option) with a three-year commitment worth $161 .7 million dollars.

While a few other teams appear interested in signing Butler to a max-level contract in his mid-30s, Heat president Pat Riley was noncommittal earlier this month when asked if the Heat would give Butler that extension this offseason.

The Heat can begin formally discussing the extension with Butler the day after the final game of the NBA Finals, which could be as early as June 15 or as late as June 24. The maximum extension opens on July 7 and ends next year on June 30, 2025.

“We don’t have to do this for a year.” So we haven’t discussed it internally at this time,” Riley said during his end-of-season press conference on May 6. “But we need to look at this, make this kind of commitment and when will we do it. In fact, we won’t have to do it until 2025. But we’ll see. We haven’t made a decision about it and we haven’t really discussed it seriously. So we’ll see what happens.

But if the Heat opts not to sign Butler to a max extension before the start of next season, the lure of another team willing to give it to him could factor into what’s next.

Butler would be eligible to sign the same two-year, $113 million extension he can sign with the Heat with any team he traded to, as his Bird rights are retained in a trade. However, Butler will not become eligible to sign this extension in this scenario until six months after the trade.

Of course, Butler is under contract with the Heat for next season, no matter what happens with the extension this offseason. It’s also unclear if Butler would even request a trade from the Heat if he doesn’t get the extension before the start of next season or if the Heat would be willing to trade Butler.

Butler could choose to extend his current contract with the Heat next season, even if he doesn’t get an extension this offseason. Although it could be argued that Butler might then be forced to exercise the $52.4 million player option in his current contract with the Heat for the 2025-2026 season, as he might not get that type of money on the open market as he approaches his 36th birthday. Heat risk losing a potentially disgruntled Butler for nothing in this scenario if he declines his player option during the 2025 offseason and becomes an unrestricted free agent based on current outside interest in signing him to a max deal.

This regular season, Butler averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, five assists and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 49.9 percent from the field, 41.4 percent from three-point range and 85.8 percent from the foul line. He was one of five players in the NBA this regular season to average more than 20 points per game while shooting better than 49 percent from the field, 41 percent from three and 85 percent from the line. fouls with Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns. , Kyrie Irving of the Dallas Mavericks, Kawhi Leonard of the Los Angeles Clippers and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Butler’s case for maxing out the Heat this offseason is clear: On his way to establishing himself as one of the Heat’s greatest players of all time, he helped lead the Heat to one of the most successful eras in franchise history with three wins in the Eastern Conference. Finals appearances and two NBA Finals appearances in his first five seasons with the organization. Earlier this month, Riley called Butler an “incredible player” and the one on the Heat’s roster who “makes things happen the most.” Advanced metrics back this up, as Butler led the Heat in estimated plus-minus, estimated wins, player efficiency, win shares, and box plus/minus this season.

The Heat’s case for not giving Butler a max extension this offseason is also obvious: He missed 20 or more regular season games in three of the last four seasons and his production was down across the board compared to the last regular season with fewer points. rebounds, assists and steals per game this regular season at 34 years old. Additionally, the extension would pay Butler nearly $60 million at the age of 37 and likely erase any chances the Heat have of entering the 2026 offseason with max cap space.

Butler wants to end his career with the Heat, but he also wants a maximum extension this offseason. He may not get the ending he wants if he doesn’t get the contract he wants.

This complex situation – between a player and an organization that have accomplished a lot together and share mutual respect – will play out in the months to come. And it’s clear that other teams are watching and waiting to pounce if Butler and the Heat can’t reach a deal this offseason.

This story was originally published May 29, 2024, 9:52 a.m.