Jimmy Butler Expected To Seek Two-Year Max Extension; Should Heat Do It?

Miami Heat standout wing Jimmy Butler missed the playoffs, but that ended up only proving how valuable he is — in the unlikely event there was some doubt.

The Heat lost their series to the Boston Celtics in five games, and the last three weren’t even close. Butler missed the series with a knee injury.

Anyway, now that the season has ended, Butler will likely seek a maximum two-year, $113 million contract extension, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

Butler originally signed a four-year, $140.8 million contract with Miami in 2019, followed by a three-year, $146.4 million extension that started this season. So he still has two years left on his current deal.

That said, the Heat could potentially wait. The bottom line is Butler is 34 years old. He will be 36 when his current contract is up. That’s murky territory in the NBA, especially when you’ve played so many games for so long — and in many instances, carried the team on your back.

There’s no doubting Butler’s desire or impact, but the Heat under team president Pat Riley generally are wise about these things. Extending Butler now will keep him happy now, but how much will it benefit the Heat when it kicks in?

It’s something only the Heat can decide.