Miami Heat: Jimmy Butler's Contract Situation Takes Major Twist
Jimmy Butler has arguably been the most talked-about player in the NBA over the past few weeks. It has nothing to do with his performances on the court though as the 35-year-old is out on the sidelines right now through illness.
The Miami Heat star's future in South Beach has been the topic of discussion though. It has been suggested that he intends to turn down his player option to become a free agent next summer.
On the other hand, a long list of teams have been linked with Butler. The Golden State Warriors are rumored to be his most likely destination while the Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets and a few others might be interested in the 35-year-old as well.
All of this speculation started back in the summer though when it emerged that Butler was looking for a max contract extension from the Heat.
However, the organization were not believed to be keen to hand him one as they wanted him to prove that he could be available on a regular basis. That has not happened this season as Butler has already spent multiple spells out on the sidelines.
Yet, it looks like the Heat could change their minds about Butler and hand him an extension. That is what the latest whispers suggest.
According to Rob Peterson on X: "I’ve heard that Miami is considering (more than ever) potentially extending Jimmy, nothing official as of yet, just something I’ve heard— will have more on this later."
Not many would have seen this update coming. Not only has Butler struggled to be consistently available this season but there are fears that his game could be on the decline as well.
Naturally, there is a risk handing a long-term extension to a player like that. It remains to be seen if this recent speculation turns out to be accurate or not.
