BFFs: Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler reunion is still in the cards as 76ers get desperate

Jimmy Butler has been suspended by the Miami Heat for a third time as the Feb. 6 trade deadline inches nearer. This time, he walked out of practice after learning he wouldn't start moving forward.

This whole saga has been the basketball equivalent of a stubbornly petulant child going back-and-forth with his strait-laced parents. Of course the kid is going to win in the end, which is just what Butler expected. He's been through this song and dance before, across different teams and decades. He knows how to make a scene.

Miami has reportedly lowered its asking price as the desperation mounts. They want Butler out the door as soon as possible. This shift in approach invites more teams into the mix, with Golden State, Minnesota, and others suddenly among those linked to the six-time All-Star.

Perhaps the most compelling hypothetical landing spot, however, is the Philadelphia 76ers. Butler has a history with that organization, and more specifically, with Joel Embiid. A lot has changed in Philly since Butler first left for Miami. The front office has been cleaned out, the coaching staff has turned over twice, and the roster around Embiid is practically unrecognizable.

Does that mean Butler might actually welcome a reunion? We know Embiid would, and according to Yahoo's Vincent Goodwill, the 76ers "quietly could be a suitor" for Miami's outcast star.

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Joel Embiid 'pushing' 76ers to trade for Jimmy Butler as season teeters on brink

This is not the first time we've seen a report citing Embiid's interest in bringing Butler back to Philadelphia. In fact, Embiid never wanted Butler to leave. He established a close relationship with Butler during their half-season together in a Sixers uniform. After the strong-willed swingman left for Miami, Embiid made constant mention of how great Butler is and what Philadelphia is missing.

According to Goodwill, Embiid "pushed for" a Butler trade in the offseason before the Sixers pivoted to Paul George. Miami was resistant to Butler overtures at the time, but Jimmy's subsequent sabotage has obviously reopened that door. The only issue? Philly has since inked George to a four-year, $212 million contract.

The only financially feasible path to getting Butler in a Sixers uniform would be trading George to Miami. Philadelphia may very well leap at the opportunity, but will the Heat? We know Miami plans on staying competitive without Butler, but George's contract is quickly approaching albatross territory. The Heat should get more out of him given their track record and Erik Spoelstra's gift for the supernatural, but shelling out north of $50 million annually to George through 2028 probably does not appeal to Pat Riley and the Heat brass.

According to Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Heat are "reluctant" to trade for All-Stars with contracts running past 2025-26, at which point Miami can clear north of $80 million in cap space as stars such as Luka Doncic and Trae Young become free agents.

Miami is a free agent destination and frankly, there are better uses of $212 million in this day and age than Paul George. So, while the Sixers will surely poke around to gauge the Heat's interest, fans should be highly skeptical. Butler and Embiid reuniting for a BFF revival tour is great on paper, but it just doesn't feel like the timelines are aligned.