NBA Swing: Could Jimmy Butler Return to the Philadelphia 76ers?

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This offseason, no team is expected to have more money than the Philadelphia 76ers, who are expected to have over $50 million in cap space. Numerous big contracts come off the books including Tobias Harris and Buddy Hield, with Joel Embiid, Paul Reed, and rookie Ricky Council being the only players signed to the roster next.

With the tremendous amount of cap space, many reports have suggested Philly will look to add another star next to Embiid and Maxey, as well as build a strong supporting cast around the eventual trio. Several stars have been linked to the Sixers including LeBron James, and Paul. George, and Zach Lavine. Earlier this week, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported that the Sixers are not only monitoring Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler but are prepared to give him an extension if he was to force a trade from the Heat this offseason.

Following Miami’s first-round playoff loss against the Boston Celtics, reports regarding frustration with Jimmy Butler’s availability in recent seasons. Butler missed the entire first-round series after suffering an injury in the Heat’s first play-in game against the Philadelphia 76ers. The frustration would go as far are Heat President Pat Riley saying Butler needed to ‘keep his mouth shut’ following his comments about the Heat/Celtics and a Heat/Knicks series.

Butler is no stranger to playing with Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. After a frustrating 2017-18 season with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Butler would only play 10 games with the team in the 2018-19 season, forcing a trade to the 76ers. Butler would play 55 games with Philly, averaging 18.2 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 4.0 APG. The Sixers would make a deep playoff run, losing to the eventual 2019 champion Toronto Raptors in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. There is no telling what could’ve happened with the 2018-19 Sixers if the Kawhi Leonard game-winner had not gone in.

In the 2019 offseason, the Sixers would make one of their biggest mistakes of the last five years, choosing free agents Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris over Butler. Butler would sign with the Heat via a sign-and-trade as a part of a four-team trade. Since that sign and trade, the Sixers have not made it past the second round while moving on from Ben Simmons while Butler has led the Heat to Finals appearances in 2020 and 2023.

Entering the second year of his three-year, $146 million extension, Butler has $48.7 million on his contract for the 2024-25 season and 52.4 million left for the 2025-26 season before becoming a free agent in the summer of 2026. Butler will be 35 by the time the 2024-25 season starts. If Butler were to force a trade from the Heat and the Sixers were to offer him a max extension, Butler would be signed until he’s in his late 30s, likely ending his career with the team.

There are many questions regarding Butler’s fit with the 76ers. The biggest question about Butler’s fitness is age and health. Since the 2019-20 season, Butler has not played more than 65 or more games in any season. With Embiid having numerous significant injuries throughout his career, most recently playing 39 games in the 2023-24 season due to a meniscus tear, another injured star may not be the best option.

Another issue is the money. With the changes in the CBA in recent years, it has become significantly harder for teams to build around a trio of stars. As recent championships have shown, superstar trios are starting to fade in favor of better overall-built teams. While it’s more likely a superstar-heavy team could make it to the Finals in a weaker Eastern Conference, it is not guaranteed.

There is no telling if Butler will be with the Heat or not for the start of the 2024-25 season. Miami has never been a team to fully embrace the tank, remaining towards the middle of the pack in the post-LeBron and post-Dwayne Wade eras until they landed Butler. Miami themselves have been linked to several stars in offseason rumors as well. But if Butler were to force a trade out of Miami, Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald has reported at least two other teams in addition to the Sixers are willing to sign Butler to a max contract after trading for him.