The Philadelphia 76ers will go to great lengths to acquire Jimmy Butler this summer. According to league insider Keith Pompey, the organization is committed to offering Butler, 34, a max extension if they’re able to land him in a trade in the coming months.
“The Sixers view him as a fallback option if they are unable to sign Paul George in free agency,” wrote Pompey. “And, according to sources, the Sixers are prepared to give Butler a maximum-salary extension if things align and he forces a trade out of Miami.”
Paul George has been the top target for the 76ers all month, and rumors of a potential split with the Clippers have put the entire NBA on notice. But with his future still uncertain, and various teams in the running for George, the 76ers need a backup plan — and that’s where Butler comes in.
Butler, 34, has been the heart and soul of the Heat franchise since his arrival in 2019. But after multiple failed playoff runs, there is noise about a breakup in South Beach and it leaves the door open for his return to familiar ground.
In the 2018-19 campaign, Jimmy played 55 games for the 76ers and he was arguably the second-best player behind Joel Embiid with averages of 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game on 46% shooting. He lit a fire under everyone there and his two-way game was huge in the frontcourt next to Embiid, Ben Simmons, and Tobias Harris.
Five years later, Butler is unlikely to have the same impact as when he first arrived but with the breakout of Tyrese Maxey, the 76ers might finally have enough to make a deep playoff run in the East. To date, Embiid hasn’t made it past the second round but they will not stop trying to have a breakthrough.
76ers Chose Tobias Harris Over Jimmy Butler In 2019
The 76ers probably should have re-signed Butler in the summer of 2019. Instead, amidst rising tensions in the locker room, they decided to let him go that summer where he eventually agreed to a new contract to join the Miami Heat for four years, $140.8 million.
That summer, when given the task of choosing between Butler and scoring forward Tobias Harris, the 76ers chose Tobias, inking him to a five-year, $180 million contract. The decision, which some would call a mistake, prompted an iconic response from Butler, who famously called out the 76ers after eliminating them from the postseason: “You chose Tobias Harris over me?!”
In the eyes of the 76ers, Butler was a problem in the locker room and his game wasn’t good enough to warrant keeping him around and risking team chemistry. While Butler was known for being rather disagreeable at the time, he proved the 76ers wrong in every way with two Finals appearances while his old team has yet to make the Conference Finals.
It’s currently unknown if Butler would ever consider going back to the 76ers to team up with Embiid again but it might be his best shot for a championship at this stage of his career. At the very least, he could ensure that he gets paid well for years to come in the last chapter of his NBA career.
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