3 teams who should be ready to give Jimmy Butler a max extension

Long gone is the optimism stemming from the Miami Heat's improbable 2023 NBA Finals run. The Heat were wiped out of the playoffs in five games with Jimmy Butler on the sideline. Now Butler is one year older and one step closer to free agency.

The future is coming up fast. Is Miami prepared for it?

Ever since his arrival, Butler has been synonymous with the Heat organization. He embraced the city and led multiple deep postseason runs. He is Miami's cult hero, the superstar who walked a path LeBron James abandoned. Butler hasn't been able to reach the mountaintop, though, and future contract negotiations are bound to get tricky.

At 34 years old, Butler has shown noticeable signs of decline. He's a regular on the injury report and he's a below-the-rim finisher who generally eschews 3s in favor of mid-range jumpers. Those players don't always age well in the modern NBA.

Butler is eligible for a two-year, $113 million max extension this summer. According to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, Butler wants that max extension from the Heat. If Miami balks, however, Butler could turn his attention elsewhere.

If Butler and Miami can't find common ground, one has to imagine the Heat will open up trade talks. There's no point in letting Butler walk for nothing next summer. Butler's market is going to be limited due to his age, contract demands, and play style, but there are teams who should explore adding him.

3. Spurs can instantly contend with Jimmy Butler and Victor Wembanyama

The San Antonio Spurs are equipped with two lottery picks and an excellent young core. There's no inherent need to rush this process. Victor Wembanyama exploded onto the scene as a rookie, but the Spurs cannot risk flexibility and growth potential without assurance that the right star is coming back.

Butler would represent a huge risk for San Antonio given his age and price tag. That extension is going to pay him well north of $50 million in his age-38 season, which is a rather significant commitment. That said, the Spurs won't need to pay Wemby for another three years, and there's a small window to get vaguely experimental.

This hardly qualifies as an experiment. As long as Butler doesn't fall off a cliff, he will dramatically improve the Spurs' standing in the West. Even if he's limited to 60-odd games — the norm at this point of his career — Butler can put San Antonio in the postseason and make the Spurs a real threat on that stage.

Wemby is more or less a top-20 player already, with room to climb the ladder even higher in his second season. The majority of the Spurs' offensive issues last season stemmed for a lack of reliable shot creation on the perimeter. Butler can work pick-and-rolls and generate easy looks for Wembanyama, whether he's popping out to the 3-point line or catching lobs. Butler also gives the Spurs a go-to scorer to draw double teams and create from scratch in crunch time.

The Spurs would need to add more shooters too, but San Antonio is equipped with enough young talent and draft capital to acquire Butler, pay him, and still maintain flexibility for another consequential move. If Wemby is ready, why waste time? Gregg Popovich is reaching the tail end of his career. Butler would help him go out swinging.

2. Warriors should inquire about Jimmy Butler

I know, I know. The Golden State Warriors?

Yes, the Golden State Warriors. Why not? Stephen Curry is still relatively close to the peak of his powers. The Warriors are blessed with an all-time great offensive weapon, the exact sort of floor-stretching supernova that can optimize Jimmy Butler's slashing profile. Golden State is far removed from contention right now, at risk of stagnating completely. It's time for a drastic move.

There's an understandable temptation to cling tight to draft picks and prepare for the future after Steph. That said, if the Warriors are bold enough, there's a way to retool and build a winner around the two-time MVP. That strategy could involve letting Klay Thompson walk and breaking up a long-dormant dynasty, but sacrifice is a necessity for successful NBA front offices.

A Butler trade does not elongate Golden State's competitive timeline. It compresses it even more. There is a decent chance the Warriors end up paying Butler, Curry, and Draymond Green well into their 30s all at once, which carries sizable downside risk. Maybe the Warriors trade Draymond to balance the roster and mitigate risk, which removes the heart and soul of multiple championship runs. I'd argue that Golden State can probably afford to let Draymond go — the act is getting stale — but all the same, it's a leap into the unknown

All the hand-wringing is secondary to the obvious benefits of employing Butler and Curry, two proven winners who execute on the postseason stage. The 2024 playoffs have been unkind to veteran teams, but Curry and Butler are more than capable of being the outliers. Curry is a gifted off-ball weapon, capable of generating open looks with relentless movement and a preternatural instinct for cutting into open space. Butler is still a slippery downhill scorer who unselfishly sets the table for his teammates.

The Warriors need another star that can create from scratch and prop up the halfcourt offense. Butler provides that, along with some stellar perimeter defense when he locks in. I'm of the opinion that Golden State owes it to Steph to go all-out until the bitter end. Butler gives the Dubs a real shot at one last run.

1. 76ers are the obvious landing spot for Jimmy Butler

If Jimmy Butler leaves the Heat, it's honestly hard to imagine him ending up anywhere except the City of Brotherly Love. The Philadelphia 76ers dealt Butler to Miami via sign-and-trade five years ago, a mistake that has haunted the organization through multiple regime changes and postseason failures.

What once kept Butler and the Sixers apart, however, has since dissipated. Brett Brown and Ben Simmons are long gone. Tobias Harris, too. Elton Brand is still the GM, but he's mostly a figurehead serving below Daryl Morey, who has a long history of treating his stars well and trying to acquire Butler.

According to Keith Pompey of the Inquirer, the Sixers are prepared to offer Butler a max extension if the Heat balk. The smoke is billowing, helped in large part by the long-established friendship between Butler and Joel Embiid. Don't be shocked if the Sixers' 7-footer is whispering in Butler's ear, coaxing him back to a franchise and a fanbase that is ready to welcome him with open arms.

The Sixers are the only contender with significant cap space. Morey is expected to have more than $60 million at his disposal. Philadelphia can trade a boatload of picks for Butler without sending salary back. So, Miami has the option to get a third team involved, or to get off Butler's contract entirely and recoup financial flexibility. That is an appealing option.

Butler's injury history and limited 3-point volume are concerns, but we've seen the two-man game with Embiid blossom before. Maxey can ease Butler's creation burden in the halfcourt and vice versa. Maxey thrives attacking off the catch and tilting a defense that is out of rotation. He didn't get those same opportunities this season as the primary (and often only) ball-handler.

This is the no-brainer. Philadelphia needs to go all-in while Embiid can still bring it at an MVP level and hope for the best. Obviously, there are serious health and longevity concerns tied to this core. But, in the end, Butler and Embiid would represent a real path to the championship.