An update from ESPN’s Brian Windhorst should have fans of the Miami Heat feeling optimistic that Jimmy Butler will remain with the team beyond his current deal.
“A few things on the Heat,” Windhorst said. “One, as far as I know, I think Jimmy Butler wants to be in Miami. His goal is to get another contract from the Heat. He also, I think, has a player option in his contract. Which, I think, his intention is to probably waive and become a free agent. But he still has that out there.”
A report from The Athletic’s Sam Amick last month connected Butler to the Golden State Warriors. Amick speculated that Golden State likely made some calls to the Heat regarding the veteran this offseason.
“Jimmy Butler’s gonna be a free agent next summer,” Amick said on the subject of players the Warriors could add to complement Stephen Curry. “Didn’t get an extension done — the Warriors, as you know, have interest there. And I think probably made a couple calls during the summer.”
Some other reports also surfaced earlier this offseason linking Butler to other teams, though it’s unclear where things stand with those situations.
For what it’s worth, it sounds like there are some people around the NBA who still think Butler could be the next big name to be traded.
“If you talk to people around the league and say, ‘Who’s the next big-name or star-caliber player who gets traded?’ there are at least some eyes on Jimmy Butler.”
– @espn_macmahon on Jimmy Butler
(Via Hoop Collective) pic.twitter.com/LDQzVDOxK5
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 4, 2024
But it sounds like Butler’s goal is to be in Miami, something that certainly needs to be kept in mind.
Interestingly, while the Heat and Butler weren’t able to come to terms on a contract extension this offseason, Miami did make sure to hand Bam Adebayo a lucrative deal. Adebayo and the Heat agreed to a three-year, $166 million extension that will keep him under contract with Miami through at least the 2027-28 campaign. He’ll have a player option in the 2028-29 season.
Several factors could have played into the Heat’s decision to extend Adebayo and not Butler.
For one, Butler is starting to get long in the tooth. He certainly isn’t the league’s oldest player — that title goes to LeBron James, who will turn 40 in December — but Butler is 35 years old as of this writing. Hence, Miami might have been hesitant to reward Butler with a massive contract with the possibility that his best years in the NBA are in the rearview mirror.
On top of the fact that Butler isn’t getting any younger, he is also on the heels of an injury-plagued season with Miami. Butler played in only 60 of the Heat’s 82 contests in the 2023-24 regular season and also missed the entirety of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Boston Celtics.
But regarding the extension talks, it’s also worth noting that Butler, at a certain point, seemingly made a decision of his own this offseason.
"I'm told (Jimmy Butler) will not be signing an extension with the Heat or any other team ahead of his opt-out in 2025 free agency."@ShamsCharania gave us some updates on Butler's future pic.twitter.com/5jAREMuhbw
— Stadium (@Stadium) June 26, 2024
The Heat had a pretty forgettable 2023-24 season thanks in part to Butler’s injury woes. Miami almost missed out on the 2024 NBA Playoffs, as the team ended up as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference before it was thoroughly outplayed by a loaded Celtics squad.
If Butler can avoid the injury bug and lead the Heat deep into the playoffs once again this coming season, perhaps that would strengthen his case in contract talks with the team in the 2025 offseason. Miami fans should expect Butler to have a chip on his shoulder in his sixth season with the organization.
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