Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Heat Facing $135,000,000 Jimmy Butler Dilemma in Offseason

Originally posted on Hardwood Heroics | By Paolo Songco | Last updated 5/2/24

The Miami Heat did not have the services of Jimmy Butler throughout their first-round series loss to the league-best Boston Celtics . Butler’s injury absence was overly apparent as Jayson Tatum and Co. pretty much cruised to a 4-1 series victory over an undermanned Heat side.

The fact that Boston absolutely destroyed Miami on Wednesday’s series-deciding Game 5 blowout is a clear testament to this notion.

Miami Heat News: Jimmy Butler Seeking Max Extension

What was made clear by the Heat’s series loss against the Celtics is that they’re not a very good team without Jimmy Butler. The six-time All-Star himself knows how much he brings to the table for this squad, and apparently, he wants to squeeze every penny out of his value this summer.

According to team insider Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald, Butler will be demanding a contract extension from the Heat this summer for the maximum value:

“Jimmy Butler, who turns 35 on Sept. 14, is expected to seek a maximum two-year contract extension worth about $113 million from the Heat this offseason, according to a league source,” Chiang wrote.

For what it’s worth, Butler’s current deal extends through 2026. Over the next two seasons, he will be pocketing upwards of $100 million.

It is worth noting, however, that Butler has a player option for 2025-26, which means that he could walk away as an unrestricted free agent next summer. In order to avoid this unwanted turn of events, the Heat will need to dig deep into their pockets in the offseason to match Butler’s $135 million demand.

Butler knows that this could very well be his last chance to secure a big-money contract, and apparently, he’s now looking at roughly $45 million annually to remain in South Beach.

The Heat organization will need to think long and hard about how they intend to move forward with this because a misstep could lead to catastrophe for them.