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By Alex Kirschenbaum
Contributing Entertainment Writer
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Is six-time All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler truly going to conclude his career on the Miami Heat?
The 34-year-old continued to produce at his usual high level as a two-way contributor for the 46-36 Heat, who concluded the year as the Eastern Conference's No. 8 seed. Across his 60 healthy bouts, he averaged 20.8 points on a .499/.414/.858 slash line, 5.3 rebounds, five assists, and 1.3 steals a night.
Butler sprained the MCL in his right knee during the Heat's first play-in game of the postseason, a 105-104 loss against the Philadelphia 76ers, and missed the entirety of Miami's subsequent five-game series loss to the mighty Boston Celtics.
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Per Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, Butler is hoping to earn a two-year maximum contract extension, which would pay him a projected $113 million. Butler currently has one more guaranteed season on his current deal with the club, plus a $52.4 million player option for 2025-26. The Heat don't need to be in any rush to extend Butler, but he's attempting to pressure the club to move things along. Accordingly, he has been the subject of trade chatter.
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During an interview with "Willard and Dibs" hosts Mark T. Willard and Dan Dibley on 95.7 The Fan San Francisco, ESPN's Nick Friedell revealed that there has been chatter surrounding the possibility of a deal that could satisfy both sides.
"Jimmy Butler's name has popped up in the conversation," Friedell said. "I think it's a fit on paper, but I'm not sure how he fits into that locker room as the alpha personality that he is and I don't know if after all the wear and tear on his knees, the Warriors would want to give him that extension. That would scare the hell out of me."
Friedell makes a salient point regarding the 6-foot-7 swingman's health. Butler hasn't played more than 65 games since the 2016-17 NBA season with the Chicago Bulls, many teams ago.
Butler is a terrific player and has guided a pair of his underdog Heat teams to NBA Finals appearances in 2020 and 2023. The Warriors, of course, have won four titles, although the club missed the playoffs last year as its core of Stephen Curry (who's 36), Klay Thompson (who's 34 and poised to become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he can't agree to terms on an extension of his own), and Draymond Green (who's 33) continues to age. 2021 lottery pick Jonathan Kuminga finally took a major leap in 2023-24, and suddenly seems like a fringe blue-chip player.
Obviously, a trade for Butler wouldn't come cheap for Golden State. Kuminga seems like the most obvious young asset Miami would want for its veteran superstar. Prior to the start of free agency, the Heat could bundle Kuminga and some future draft equity, along with the contracts of forward Andrew Wiggins, guard Gary Payton II, and center Kevon Looney, in a deal for Butler's $45.2 million salary.
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