Jimmy Butler

Where there’s smoke there’s fire: addressing Jimmy Butler rumors involving Philadelphia 76ers

It seems that ever since the final buzzer sounded for the Philadelphia 76ers’ game six elimination to the New York Knicks, Philadelphia has constantly been connected to Jimmy Butler with a series of reports coming out about his future with the Miami Heat along with Daryl Morey’s hunt for a third star this past week.

The morning after the 76ers got bounced in the first round, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst dropped a subtle bomb, claiming that Philadelphia is expected to monitor Jimmy Butler’s situation in Miami. A few days later, in his exit interview when asked if Miami would consider trading Butler, Heat President Pat Riley said “No. Not right now.” (via Barry Jackson). 

This article could end right here, but front-office executives have played this leverage game for years, plus, it’s the offseason, so why not stir up the pot a little bit?

Recapping the Jimmy Butler reports

All the Butler smoke started to emerge when Jimmy Butler was seeking a two-year/$113 million max extension via Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald. The Athletic’s John Hollinger came out saying that there are “incredibly loud whispers” that Butler’s future may not be with Miami as the Heat are hesitant to extend him to such a large salary due to his decline in play this season as well as his constant absences. 

To further fuel the fire, Jimmy Butler, in a playful tone, said that if he wasn’t injured this postseason, the Boston Celtics, who beat Miami 4-1 in the first round, and the New York Knicks, would’ve been sent home. Pat Riley didn’t take Butler’s antics well as the NBA legend virally said “If you’re not on the court playing against Boston or New York, you should keep your mouth shut.” (via WPLG Local 10 Sports). 

On top of this, ESPN’s Zach Lowe said that Riley’s comment on Butler “opened a lot of eyes around the NBA.” Lowe believed that Riley’s goal with his words was to hit Butler with both a “jab” and a “right hook”. David Aldridge, NBA 2K icon and columnist for The Athletic, also reported that Butler and the Heat are nearing a tipping point as the all-star likes to do things his way while Miami favors a team concept and does not take kindly to individualism. 

One or two offseason rumblings concerning a star player are completely normal and usually, nothing to look twice at, but with a series of reports coming from different angles with reports from a variety of outlets, it’s a situation to “monitor”. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

Could the 76ers trade for Jimmy Butler? 

Now here’s where the 76ers come in, according to Bovada, an online sportsbook, Philadelphia has the greatest odds to land Jimmy Butler if he were to become available for trade with the New Orleans Pelicans and Brooklyn Nets not being too far behind. 

However, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, reported that the Heat are unlikely to be interested in Philadelphia’s assets, which are practically a plethora of first-round picks, in a trade for Butler. The 76ers would be able to offer up to three first-round picks and three first-round pick swaps. 

But, if you’ve been keeping up with the NBA for the past decade or so, you’d know it’s common knowledge that Pat Riley and the Heat would rather hang up Michael Jordan’s jersey in their rafters than enter a clear-cut rebuild.

As Liberty Ballers’ Bryan Toporerk pointed out earlier this week via X, the 76ers’ biggest issue they’ll face when looking into a trade of any form is their lack of player assets. Philadelphia only has Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, who are obviously untouchable, as well as Ricky Council IV and likely Paul Reed, who Morey indicated will return next season in his exit press conference.

With Council and Reed (if his contract is guaranteed), being the lone two players Philadelphia would be willing to trade, it makes a deal for Jimmy Butler seem impossible. 

Bleacher Report’s Jimmy Butler to 76ers mock trade

Bleacher Report, however, proposed a four-team mock trade where Philadelphia receives Jimmy Butler, Miami gets Donovan Mitchell and Kyle Kuzma, Cleveland acquires Tyler Herro and draft capital (one 76ers first-round pick), and Washington obtains Paul Reed, Nikola Jovic, Ty Jerome, and draft capital (two 76ers first-round picks). 

Giving up three first-round picks for a 34-year-old Jimmy Butler, who missed 22 games this season, is a hefty price, but one the 76ers would have to pay to acquire the star forward. Whether or not this is a just mock trade, I’ll leave that up to you, the reader. 

But, I doubt that Morey would realistically pursue this deal if there was a chance to trade for star Donovan Mitchell in the first place. Mitchell’s future with the Cleveland Cavaliers has constantly been in question all season long and he’s certainly another player the 76ers should keep tabs on this summer. 

Also, Philadelphia giving up a trio of first-round picks for Butler seems rather silly when they could sign Paul George via free agency if he were to decline his $48.7 million player option with the Los Angeles Clippers. Signing George to a max contract would be a controversial decision in itself. 

Still, it seems like an easier path to building a quality roster around Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey as the 76ers wouldn’t have to trade any of their picks and reserve them for any other trade option that may pop up.

My verdict on the 76ers trading for Jimmy Butler

In terms of trading for Jimmy Butler, yes he’d be a great fit next to Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey as Butler serves as an excellent ball-handler/play-maker alongside Maxey, which has been a void the 76ers have tried to fill since James Harden was traded away to the Clippers. 

Butler’s also a quality defender and elevates his overall game, especially his scoring, to unbelievable heights in the postseason. Not to mention, the vibes couldn’t be any higher with Embiid and Butler reunited as they formed a great friendship during Butler’s 2018-2019 tenure in Philadelphia. 

But, on the other hand, if Butler was traded back to the 76ers, that means Daryl Morey and friends would be willing to fulfill his two-year/$113 million max extension request. To put that in perspective, Philadelphia would be paying Butler, who’d be 35+ years old, approximately $56.5 million per year, which is a trap Morey is determined not to fall into after the infamous Tobias Harris contract. 

If you ask me, it’s not worth it at this stage of Butler’s decorated career. While he would bring exactly what the 76ers have been missing since his free agent departure in 2019 with playoff intensity and secondary playmaking/scoring, his performance will inevitably decline as he gets older whether he’s the third option or not and that contract could cripple Philadelphia in what could very possibly be Joel Embiid last few dominant, MVP-level seasons. 

There’s many routes that Daryl Morey can go this offseason whether it’s pursuing Jimmy Butler, signing Paul George to a max contract, simply filling out the roster with a plethora of quality two-way players, etc. Regardless, Morey made it clear that Philadelphia is seeking a reliable wing player and Butler and George fit the mold.

Mandatory Credit: Copyright 2024 NBAE(Photo by Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images)

Freshman journalism major at Temple University, NBA/76ers contributor for The Liberty Line, and owner of Sixercountry on Instagram, which has over 40,000 followers. I am aspiring to be a credentialed 76ers reporter and top NBA personality.

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