Unlike last season, when the Miami Heat made a remarkable run to the NBA Finals as the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference, the storied franchise flamed out quickly in the NBA playoffs this year, getting beat by the top-seeded Boston Celtics in five games.
Unfortunately, the Heat weren’t at 100% in this first-round playoff series with Jayson Tatum and company as Jimmy Butler was dealing with an injury that kept him out for the entire series against Boston.
Obviously, not having their undisputed leader on the floor was a significant disadvantage against arguably the best team in the East.
However, even though Heat president Pat Riley recently said the team has no intention of trading Butler, that might no longer be the case, as the team could be open to the idea of moving the superstar rather than extending him, according to Kurt Helin via NBACentral.
“Despite what Pat Riley said at his press conference, there are rumblings that Miami could be open to parting ways with Jimmy Butler rather than extending him. Re-uniting Butler and Joel Embiid could work, something Fischer mentions at Yahoo Sports. He also notes DeMar DeRozan is a free agent, but that’s not an ideal fit,” Helin wrote.
There are rumblings that Miami could be open to parting ways with Jimmy Butler rather than extending him, per @basketballtalk
“Despite what Pat Riley said at his press conference, there are rumblings that Miami could be open to parting ways with Jimmy Butler rather than… pic.twitter.com/QHqTgKkXsy
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) May 24, 2024
If Butler is available, there’s bound to be some interest around the league, as he can be a game-changing player who can instantly improve the culture of a team looking to turn the corner or get over the top.
Landing with the Philadelphia 76ers would be an interesting move, but the team lacks assets, and a majority of the roster will be hitting NBA free agency this summer.
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Report: Heat Unlikely To Retain Veteran This Offseason