Last Updated on June 22, 2024 by Mathew Diekhake

Pat Riley said yesterday that the Heat are undecided on whether they want to extend Jimmy Butler if they had to do it today. One of the concerns Riley has is regarding Butler’s health:

That’s a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you have somebody who’s going to be there and available every single night, Riley said.

Butler recently made comments regarding how the Heat would have beaten the Celtics if he was playing in the series, which to me sounded like something a player would say when they sought a contract extension. Riley didn’t hold back on that either:

“I thought, ‘Is that Jimmy trolling or is that Jimmy serious?’ If you’re not on the court playing against Boston or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut on the criticism of those teams.”

I agree with everything Pat Riley said yesterday. But after he has publicly said those things, I’d be surprised if Butler stays. It seems Riley doesn’t mind if Butler stays or goes. I feel the same way. Jimmy isn’t getting any younger. It’s hard to win giving him so much money.

Several Miami beat writers are suggesting Jimmy won’t leave. It’s definitely possible he does. Butler is at an age where he wants to win now. And if he can jump on a contender, he probably will. Are the Heat true contenders next year? It’s hard to imagine them being healthy let alone truly contending. It’s not a great situation for Butler to be here from a basketball perspective. That said, he seems to like the team. He said yesterday that the Heat would have beat the Celtics if he played, though that may be self-admiration more than anything.

I think Jimmy Butler would be perfect for the 76ers. He would be that third piece they could use. But Daryl Morey didn’t want to pay James Harden. I’m not sure why things would be different with Butler. That would disrespect Harden all over again. Does he want that? I’m not saying that because I don’t want Butler to leave. His leaving could be the best thing for Miami. We honestly probably need to rebuild as the Rockets did a few years ago unless we keep Butler and get Durant or Lebron.

It’s unlikely that we will become genuine contenders during the Jimmy Butler era, but I would advocate signing and keeping him as long as possible. He’s good for the club’s history. He plays the game the right way. However, I doubt he’s worth a max contract. He’s where Harden was 2 years ago. He will be on the decline now rather naturally unless he is a freak of nature. He should be willing to negotiate if he has any respect for Miami.