Jimmy Butler could be heading back to Philadelphia in a shocking twist to the NBA’s latest trade drama.
The Miami Heat star, who’s been suspended three times this month alone, might reunite with Joel Embiid and the 76ers – a team he played for during the 2018-19 season.
Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports says the Sixers are “quietly” emerging as a potential destination for Butler. Even more interesting? Joel Embiid’s apparently pushing for it to happen.
The Heat are getting desperate to move Butler. After suspending him indefinitely on Monday (his third suspension this month), they’ve lowered their asking price significantly.
“The Heat are really, really trying to make this happen,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Tuesday morning. “Their prices have come down, and what they’re willing to accept in trade has widened.”
That’s opened the door for more teams to jump into the mix.
While Butler’s reportedly got his heart set on Phoenix, making that work isn’t easy. The Suns would need to involve at least three teams since they don’t have enough draft picks to make a straight-up deal.
The Sixers’ potential offer would center around Paul George, but there’s a catch.
When George signed his massive $212 million contract last summer, Philly’s front office promised they wouldn’t trade him in the first year. But Sixers president Daryl Morey has broken similar promises before – just ask James Harden.
There’s another big problem: money.
George’s contract is huge – we’re talking $50 million+ per year for the next two seasons, with a $56.6 million player option in 2027-28. The Heat don’t want any big contracts that go beyond next season unless they get draft picks as sweeteners.
Miami’s got five games left before the February 6 trade deadline to figure this out.
Butler’s been an All-Star six times and made the All-NBA team five times during his 14-year career. But at this point, the Heat seem ready to move on – it’s just a matter of finding the right deal.
