Philadelphia 76ers wing Jimmy Butler has reportedly decided to opt out of his contract for the 2019-20 season. In turn, the All-Star will hit free agency once July comes calling.
Primarily linked to the Brooklyn Nets and his current Sixers team, Butler is reportedly now showing interest in the Miami Heat.
This is a rather interesting turn of events given Miami’s cap situation. As the report noted, Pat Riley and Co. would have to do a lot in order to bring Butler in on a max deal.
Veteran guard Goran Dragic just exercised his $19.2 million option for the 2019-20 campaign after suffering through an injury-plagued year. Meanwhile, Hassan Whiteside is also expected to opt in at $27.1 million for next season.
Miami would have to trade off one of these assets in a salary dump in order to bring Butler aboard. The Heat do have their first-round pick in 2019 and potential future first-round picks (outride of 2021) to entice teams willing to take on either contract.
One thing is clear. The allure of South Beach seems to rearing its head here once again.