Despite Jimmy Butler’s desire to reach a contract extension with the Miami Heat, his future of the franchise may be in limbo. Indeed, several teams are monitoring his situation with the Heat ahead of offseason, namely the Philadelphia 76ers.
Multiple Teams Willing to Offer Jimmy Butler Max Contract
“Along with the 76ers,” per the Miami Herald’s Anthony Chiang, “there are two other teams that have made it known in league circles that they would be willing to trade for (Butler) and sign him to a max-level contract.”
Though those suitors aren’t known, the Detroit Pistons are projected to have the most cap space ($64.4 million) this offseason. The Utah Jazz ($38.3 million), who have a hole at small forward, could clear up enough money for Butler. However, the New York Knicks, Chicago Bulls, and Minnesota Timberwolves —three of his former teams —are distinct possibilities as well. Among those options, the Bulls and Timberwolves may be the most sensible landing spots.
Chicago Bulls
In a potential sign-and-trade, Bulls wing DeMar DeRozan is one of the best players they can target. An all-time great scorer, DeRozan’s offensive strengths are quite similar to Butler’s. Effective midrange scorers and playmakers, they can be featured as the top option or play a complementary role. This symmetry should allow both players to have a smooth transition on offense. However, there’s a tradeoff for both teams.
The Bulls would be acquiring a defensive stalwart. For a team that’s largely struggled at that end for years, Butler’s arrival will be transformative. Furthermore, as a defensive stopper, he’s a better complement for Zach LaVine on the wing than DeRozan. There will be questions about Butler’s ability to stay healthy though, as he’s played in 65 or fewer games in every season since 2017-18.
For comparison, DeRozan hasn’t missed more than 15 games in a season since 2014-15. With that being said, the six-time All-Star could be the type of player Heat president Pat Riley is looking for. Indeed, Riley’s reluctance to offer the Butler a max contract extension is centered on his lack of durability. As the saying goes, the best ability is availability.
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Sixers might not be the only team kicking themselves for letting Butler get away. Whether his problems were with Andrew Wiggins or Karl-Anthony Towns, Butler’s been more impactful than both since being traded by the Minnesota Timberwolves. In fact, Minnesota traded Wiggins the season after the shipped Butler off. Towns remains with the Wolves, but has been replaced by Anthony Edwards as the face of the franchise.
That isn’t to say Towns has played poorly. Indeed, he’s averaged 23.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.1 blocks per game since 2018-19, shooting a blistering 41.0 percent from 3. He’s a flawed player, particularly defensively, but his four All-Star selections aren’t a fluke. Nonetheless, with the rise of Naz Reid and the team’s need for another elite perimeter defender, Butler’s skills are more in line with Minnesota’s needs.
The big man has played in 50 or fewer games in three of the past five seasons, so injuries and illness may make Towns a hard sell for Miami. However, as played all 82 games in his first three seasons (and at least 74 in five), he’s arguably more hardy than Butler. He also fits a position of need; the Heat have yet to settle on a full-time starter at power forward.
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