Jimmy Butler has two years remaining on his three-year, $146.4M deal. The final year of his contract is a player option, and the veteran forward is widely expected to opt out of it.
Butler, 34, could become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the upcoming season and leave the Miami Heat for nothing if they’re unable to negotiate an extension.
Recent reporting from Brian Lewis of the New York Post has linked Butler with a move to the Brooklyn Nets.
“The odds of him picking up his player option are slim unless he agrees to a max deal with the Heat beforehand,” Lewis wrote. “The six-time All-Star is the most accomplished standout on that [free agent] list not named [LeBron] James, and he likes Brooklyn, according to sources close to the player.”
Brooklyn is currently in the early stages of a roster rebuild. Its decision to trade Mikal Bridges to the New York Knicks at the start of the offseason has ensured It has a deep war chest of draft picks to mirror its growing list of young talent.
As such, Brooklyn has plenty of flexibility if it chooses to become a player in the trade market.
That flexibility appears to be enticing for Butler. On Saturday, Lewis doubled down on his reporting of Butler’s interest in Brooklyn by noting how the veteran is “fond” of the potential move.
“Butler isn’t just open to Brooklyn, but fond of it, sources told The Post,” Lewis wrote. “Now, he’s not a Net and he might never get close to becoming one. But to dismiss the possibility out of hand is foolish.”
Brooklyn is one of the only teams in the NBA that could easily afford Butler’s salary next summer, too. According to The Athletic’s John Hollinger, the Nets could have between $44M and $65M in cap space next summer, making it easy to absorb Butler into their squad.
“The Mikal Bridges trade clearly put the Nets in a new phase,” Hollinger reported. “That likely involves wielding cap space in the summer of 2025; right now, they’re projected to have between $44 million and $65 million and could easily open up more by making trades involving Cam Johnson, Dorian Finney-Smith and others after getting back their 2025 and 2026 first-round draft picks from the Houston Rockets this summer.”
In a vacuum, Butler moving to the Nets next summer would be best for everyone involved. The Heat would have some scope to begin rebuilding their team around Bam Adebayo, Butler would get one last opportunity to spearhead a team and the Nets would have a star talent to sell when recruiting other players from around the league.
Nevertheless, the Nets should be cautious of Butler’s age. He’s begun to show signs of slowing down. He is in the final stages of his career. Unless they’re confident they can surround him with a contending-level roster within the first year or two of his contract, his fit on the roster won’t make sense.
Still, if a chance to land Butler in free agency arises, it will be incredibly difficult to turn down. Miami has a decision to make, and the clock is already ticking.