The Miami Heat may have lost in the first round to the Boston Celtics, but there’s a huge Jimmy Butler caveat that Heat fans can lean on when arguing with other NBA fans. Butler’s knee injury during the play-in tournament didn’t heal in time, forcing the Heat to play without their star man.
However, the most recent playoff performances revealed aspects in the Heat’s roster that must be addressed in the offseason. Pat Riley would have to do a bit of roster maneuvering to turn the Heat into a championship-caliber team again.
One of the unlikeliest but possible moves the Heat front office can take on is trading Butler to get building pieces in return. While it’s unlikely to happen, one analyst made one shocking revelation that could possibly see Butler in an intriguing position next season.
Philadelphia 76ers hotly tipped to trade with Miami Heat for Jimmy Butler
It’s obvious that the Heat are keen to keep Butler as he’s at the heart of everything good with Miami over the past five years. However, it’s also undeniable that the $135 million contract he’s reportedly seeking is throwing a wrench into their plans to rebuild the team.
With the Heat mulling whether they should offer a player who’ll be 35 by the start of the season a max deal, the Philadelphia 76ers are reportedly interested in acquiring his services again.
They’ve learned from their Tobias Harris blunder and would be willing to pay him big money to team him up with Joel Embiid again. Wes Goldberg of All U Can Heat detailed the details of the hypothetical deal:
The Heat would get back multiple first-round picks, create $10 million in cap space and financial flexibility below the luxury tax.
If Butler and the Heat can’t agree on an extension and the 76ers are willing to pay Butler the max, then this scenario could be in play.
Both Butler and Embiid maintained a friendship from their time as teammates in the 2018-19 season, and Tyrese Maxey would provide the youthful spark that would allow the vets to take a backseat.
The setup is perfect for Butler to make a Philly return, but it remains to be seen if the Miami Heat are actually willing to let their franchise player go.
