Now that the dust has settled on the 2023-24 season for the Heat, Miami will look to the offseason; addressing whether or not they will be paying one of their biggest stars, Jimmy Butler.
According to Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, Jimmy Butler is seeking a maximum two-year contract extension worth $113 million from the Heat this offseason.
Butler, who will turn 35 before the start of the next NBA season, is in the bindings of a three-year $146.40 million extension he signed with Miami back in August 2021.
The Miami Heat star is currently set to make $48.80 million next season and has a player option of $52.41 million in 2025-26.
Jimmy Butler originally signed the deal back in 2019 and could be looking for one more big payday before he calls it a career.
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Jimmy Butler: Postseason Jimmy vs. Regular Season Jimmy
No one questions the kind of player that Jimmy Butler is, a proven NBA All-Star and easily a top-25 player in the league. However, Butler's regular season production doesn't match how good he is in the postseason.
The Heat so far have had a great playoff experience during Butler's time in Miami, especially in 2020 and 2023, where they made the NBA Finals in both seasons and the Eastern Conference Finals in 2022.
Jimmy Butler suffered an MCL Sprain last month and was unable to play in the team's first-round series against the Boston Celtics, where he was missed dearly as the Heat lost the series in 5 games.
Butler typically rises as one of the best players in the world during the postseason. However, his lackluster play during the 82-game season makes it hard for the Heat to justify paying the six-time All-Star large sums at this point in his career.
Though he was solid this past season averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5 assists, and 1.3 steals per game along with shooting a career-high 41.4% from the three-point line; Jimmy Butler only appeared in 60 regular season games.
Butler has played over 70 games just twice in his career, and his age makes it more complicated heading into contract talks.
Whether the Heat will give Butler the extension he desires remains to be seen, as the window to extend him officially opens on July 7th, Chiang reported.
Jimmy Butler played a significant role in making the Miami Heat a formidable threat in the Eastern Conference, being the thorn to the side of teams like the Boston Celtics in the NBA Playoffs.
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Miami Heat's Offseason in Questions
With reports of the Miami Heat potentially adding another star to their core of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro; one would wonder if giving Butler an extension would make it more difficult for Miami to get another star in the mix.
The Heat tried to swing for Damian Lillard last summer and lost, coming out of the offseason empty handed.
That kind of move could be what turns the Miami Heat into a real deal contender, giving Jimmy Butler the best shot at an NBA Championship win that he has been chasing throughout his career.
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