Miami Heat general manager Andy Elisburg offered some interesting insight into Jimmy Butler’s future with the franchise.
Butler is currently under contract with the Heat for the 2024-25 season and has a player option for north of $52 million in the 2025-26 season. He could opt out of his deal following the 2024-25 season to become an unrestricted free agent.
”As Pat [Riley] said I think in his press conference – look – it doesn’t have to be something you do now,” Elisburg said. “You have an opportunity to do this all year long. So, there’s an opportunity to do it at some point in time. And there’s an opportunity if he becomes a free agent next year – sit down and do a contract at that point in time.
“So, there’s always an opportunity to do it. If a player wants to be in Miami, and we want him in Miami, the rest of it is logistics.
“That’s how Pat’s always approached it of how you look at – the most important thing is making players want to be here and players want to come. Then how you use (cap) room or timing, all those things, then just becomes a piece of it.
“I think Jimmy’s indicated he wants to be in Miami. And we’ve indicated we’d like Jimmy want to be in Miami. Pat has indicated in his postseason press conference that there are things he wants to see. And there’s challenges he wants to go.
“Jimmy’s not one who is familiar with having challenges and being part of being challenged. And Pat and Jimmy are two very strong-willed people who are looking for the same thing, which is ultimately to win.
”So, my view of it at the end of the day, it ultimately will work itself out. There are lots of ways it can work out. But first and foremost, the most important thing, is do the player and the team want to be continuing to work together? If it does – you guys know as well having done a lot of different numbers – there’s lots of different ways to make the rest of the numbers work.
“If everyone wants to make a deal, there are lots of different ways you can make the deal and do the different pieces to it. The most important thing is everyone wanting to make the deal. And I think – he’s under contract – I think right now, I think we want to win.”
Elisburg also mentioned that Riley has challenged the team to get over the hump and win a championship, the one thing the Heat have yet to do in Butler’s tenure with the franchise.
It’s a good sign for the Heat and their fans that Elisburg believes there is mutual interest between Butler and the Heat to remain together beyond the 2024-25 season.
Butler joined the Heat prior to the 2019-20 season in free agency after spending the previous campaign with the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Philadelphia 76ers.
The impact of the six-time All-Star was felt immediately in Miami, as Butler led the Heat to the NBA Finals that season in the Orlando, Fla. bubble.
Even though Miami came up short in the Finals, losing to the Los Angeles Lakers, it made an improbable run – knocking off the No. 1-seeded Milwaukee Bucks in the process – showing that it could be a title contender with Butler leading the way.
Over the five seasons Butler has spent in Miami, the Heat have reached the NBA Finals twice and the Eastern Conference Finals three times. Miami most recently made the Finals in the 2022-23 season, making another shocking run – this time as the No. 8 seed in the East – before losing to the Denver Nuggets in the Finals.
This past season, Miami was knocked out in the first round of the playoffs, but Butler did not play in that series after he injured his knee in the team’s play-in tournament loss to the Sixers. The Heat ended up earning the No. 8 seed in the East without him, but they lost in five games to the Boston Celtics in the first round.
There’s no doubt that Butler has made Miami a team to look out for year in and year out in the East, but he is 34 years old and will be 35 during the 2024-25 season. That could alter how Miami approaches negotiations with Butler, as it may want to sign him to a shorter deal because of his age.
For now, it appears that Elisburg, Riley and the Heat are focused on winning the 2024-25 season with Butler as a key part of that plan.
