Heat's Jimmy Butler: Miami 'a City I Adore and That I Love' amid NBA Trade Rumors
May 4, 2024
Despite his recent involvement in trade rumors, Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler appears to be content with staying where he's at.
Butler called Miami "a city I adore and that I love" during an interview at Saturday's Miami Grand Prix.
The six-time All-Star will reportedly seek a contract extension with the organization during the 2024 offseason, as Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald revealed that Butler is interested in a two-year deal worth $113 million.
Butler has two seasons left on a three-year, $146.4 million contract that he signed with the Heat in Aug. 2021 (via Spotrac). This includes a player option worth roughly $52.4 million for the 2025-26 season.
While his Heat tenure has been immensely successful with several deep playoff runs, he'll be 35 years old at the start of the 2024-25 season and Miami's front office could be hesitant to hand him the maximum extension that he can receive under the terms of his current contract.
This could lead to a potential trade, and other teams may already be monitoring the situation. In a Friday appearance on Get Up, ESPN's Brian Windhorst mentioned the Philadelphia 76ers as a potential trade partner if Butler and the Heat are unable to agree to an extension.
Get Up @GetUpESPN"The player at the top of their list is Paul George."<a href="https://twitter.com/WindhorstESPN?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@WindhorstESPN</a> thinks the Sixers are going to give PG-13 a max contract offer in free agency, and will look to monitor Jimmy Butler and Brandon Ingram's situations 👀 <a href="https://t.co/bRVVY1XeeO">pic.twitter.com/bRVVY1XeeO</a>
Butler averaged 20.8 points and 5.0 assists per game on 49.9/41.4/85.8 shooting splits during his 2023-24 campaign, although he was unable to suit up in Miami's first-round playoff defeat due to an MCL injury.
While he's had his fair share of ugly exits from former teams, that may not be the case for the Heat. Given Butler's reported desire for an extension and his comments on Saturday, he doesn't seem to be interested in leaving Miami anytime soon.