Jimmy Butler has millions of reasons to be on the court, to produce and to — as he would say — “hoop,” this season.
Make that, multi-millions.
The Miami Heat’s mercurial, aging star promises to be a good (and available) soldier this year — starting with Wednesday’s opener against the Orlando Magic at Kaseya Center — and attempt to push a team that has had to play its way into the eight-team postseason bracket as the seventh or eight seed the least two years.
While Butler clearly is on the back nine of a career that one day could land him in Springfield, Mass., he is trying to prove at 35 he still has enough left to warrant one more massive pay day.
The question is will that pay day come in South Florida.
Just a handful of players 35-and-older are in the NBA and few of those are as productive as Butler. The upper echelon is led by LeBron James (39), Steph Curry (36) and Kevin Durant (35).
Butler, though, is at the top of Tier 2.
But even if man who embraces the nickname “Jimmy Buckets” slows down that aging process this year, will it be enough for a Heat team that did little to improve this offseason?
After finishing eighth in the East and getting through the play-in round, Miami was dominated by eventual champion Boston in the first round, 4-1, its four losses by an average of 22 points.
A series Butler missed because of an MCL injury.
Butler has led Miami to two Finals
Pat Riley’s maneuvering to steal Butler from the 76ers five years ago has not paid off in a title, but has been a success nonetheless. Butler has led the Heat to two NBA Finals (2020, 2023) and three Eastern Conference Finals and has produced some of the most memorable playoff performances for a franchise that has many.
Miami has been in the playoffs each of Butler’s five seasons.
Dissecting the numbers it would take to extend this relationship can be mind numbing. But here goes:
- Butler is making $48.8 million this year, 11th highest in the league.
- He has a player option for next year for $53.4 million.
- He could opt out of that option and become a free agent, making him eligible for a four-year, $243 million deal with the Heat; or three-year, $171 million contract with another team.
Then there is the possibility of a two-year, $113 million extension with the Heat that Butler, according to reports, is not interested in signing. In fact, it’s believed Butler, at this point, is willing to gamble on himself in pursuit of cashing one last lottery ticket through free agency.
Got it?
“I guess I got to go out there and I got to hoop,” Butler said. “I got to prove I’m a major part of winning and rightfully so. I’ve done it before.”
The Heat do not appear very eager to commit such a whopping sum to a player who would be 39 entering the final year of that contract.
And this is a player who’s had to defend his reputation as a locker room disruption as much as he’s had to defend opponents’ top perimeter players, which has been plenty considering Butler is a five-time member of the league’s All Defensive Team.
“I’m trying to get all that thinking out of our heads because it’s living in the present moment and playing basketball,” Riley told a group of reporters recently when asked about Butler’s contract situation.
“So if there’s something that’s going to drag me down or him down because of that, then we’re not going to perform at a certain level. But I think he’s embraced exactly where he’s at. I think he understands where we’re at.”
But there are signs this relationship started to fracture considering Riley’s clear frustration with Butler following last season.
Pat Riley not happy with Butler’s playoff comments last season
The Heat’s president was not happy hearing Butler say if he were available for the playoffs, “Boston would be at home, New York damn sure would be (expletive) at home.”
The Knicks defeated Philadelphia in six games in the first round.
Butler clearly wanted his commentary posted considering he prefaced it saying, “video this. You got it. One, two three action.”
And he had to know Riley would be annoyed.
“For him to say that, I thought ‘Is that Jimmy trolling or is that Jimmy serious?’ ” Riley said at the annual postseason news conference.
“If you’re not on the court playing against Boston or … playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut and your criticism of those teams.”
Butler’s numbers were down last season. He averaged fewer points, rebounds, assists and steals per game compared to 2022-23. He also missed 24 regular-season games – about his average since coming to Miami – and the entire Boston series.
In February, Butler’s father, Jimmy Butler Jr., died from a terminal illness.
And Butler insists the contract will not be an issue this season.
“I always want to hoop,” he said. “I always want to play. I always want to compete with my guys.
“I hear him,” he added about Riley. “I see what he’s talking about. I’m going to play as many games as I can.”
