Report: 76ers, 2 Other Teams Willing To Sign Jimmy Butler To Max Extension If They Acquire Him From Heat

According to NBA reporter Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald, the Philadelphia 76ers and two other teams are willing to sign Jimmy Butler to a max extension if they acquire him from the Miami Heat. 

“Along with the 76ers, according to league sources, there are two other teams that have made it known in league circles that they would be willing to trade for Jimmy Butler and sign him to a max-level contract,” Chiang wrote. “Butler turns 35 on Sept. 14.

“Despite the outside interest, Butler and his agent Bernie Lee have repeatedly made it clear — publicly and privately — that he wants to spend the rest of his NBA career with the Heat. But choosing not to offer Butler a max extension this offseason could derail those plans, especially with other teams seemingly willing to fulfill his request.”

Butler is extension-eligible this offseason. He’ll make $48.8 million next season.

A Houston native, Butler has a player option worth $52.4 million for the 2025-26 season. He turns 35 in September.

“So essentially, Butler will ask the Heat to replace the two years and $101.2 million remaining on his contract (should he exercise the 2025-26 player option) with a three-year commitment worth $161.7 million,” Chiang wrote. 

For the Heat this season, Butler averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 60 games while shooting 49.9% from the field, 41.4% from beyond the arc and 85.8% from the free-throw line.

The Heat lost to the Boston Celtics in the first round of this year’s playoffs in five games. Butler didn’t play because of a knee injury. 

Butler joined the Heat in the offseason of 2019 via a sign-and-trade deal with the Sixers. Miami has made the NBA Finals twice in the Butler era. 

A Marquette product, Butler has career averages of 18.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists with the Chicago Bulls, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sixers and Heat. He’s made six All-Star teams, five All-NBA teams and five All-Defensive teams.

The Sixers, who are projected to have around $60 million in cap space this offseason, have been linked to Butler, Paul George, Brandon Ingram and OG Anunoby.