Jimmy Butler leaves door wide open for Heat exit if contract demands aren't met
Jimmy Butler is facing contract negotiations with the Miami Heat and the star is talking about leaving the squad if he doesn't get a new maximum contract extension.
According to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, "Jimmy Butler wants a max extension this offseason, preferably from the Heat." Still, the star could leave for another team if he doesn't get a "max extension."
This comes as Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Philly seems focused on giving Butler everything he wants by offering him a "maximum extension if [the] Miami Heat star is traded."
Butler has two more years left on his deal with one of those being a player option that he can choose to decline. The star wants a "two-year maximum extension for $113 million" that will give him two more years on top of the player option that he has.
Butler, who missed 22 regular season games and the team's entire first round series against the Boston Celtics with various injuries, isn't the same star that he used to be and clearly doesn't take the regular season as seriously as he used too. He can still be one of the best veterans in the league during the playoffs, but it's hard to see a world where he would be the No. 1 option for a team in the regular season.
The Heat star is 34 years old with regular season averages of 20 points per game on nearly 50 percent shooting, five rebounds, and five assists. Those averages will likely only go down as he ages.
Pat Riley has gone through almost this same situation with Dwyane Wade when the legendary executive decided not to match a two-year, $47-million deal that the Chicago Bulls offered during the 2016 offseason. It's important to note that in that situation Wade was an even bigger presence in Miami sports than Butler ever has been and Riley let him go because he thought it was the best thing for the franchise at the time.
As Butler and the Heat continue to minch words about a long-term extension, will the star request a trade this offseason?
NBA rumors: Jimmy Butler willing to leave Heat without max contract
Honestly at this moment, it's not easy to say whether Butler has played his last game for the Miami Heat. As the star continues to age, it's hard to justify giving him a max contract with the luxury tax basically limiting teams to two stars. Quite simply, Bam Adebayo can still be a No. 1 or 2 option on a title-winning team, but Butler can't be depended on for the regular season.
Yes, in the playoffs, the veteran can do the impossible and rise to the occasion but Riley insinuated that only showing up for the test day is not enough to pass the class and get a max contract.
If I was a betting man, I'd bet Riley doesn't offer a maximum contract to Butler this offseason. Still, I have no inside information and I am only going on gut and public information.
Whether Butler leaves or gets another max contract from the Heat is still yet to be seen, but it's likely that whatever happens will be very noisy in true Butler fashion.