NBA free agency: Will Jimmy Butler tell the Heat he wants in?
To land with the Heat, Butler would need to convince the Sixers to do a sign-and-trade.
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UPDATE: In a sign-and-trade, Jimmy Butler will head to the Heat.
Has Jimmy Butler made up his mind?
The Associated Press reported that the 76ers free agent will inform the Miami Heat on Sunday night that he wishes to play for the team.
A source close to Butler said Butler doesn’t intend to make his intentions known during the meeting, but it’s no secret Butler likes the organization.
The 29-year-old is also expected to meet with the Houston Rockets in the coming days. The Heat and Rockets don’t have the available cap space to sign Butler to a max contract. The Sixers are considering shipping Butler to one of those teams in a sign-and-trade.
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A sign-and-trade could be challenging. First, Butler must convince the Sixers they would benefit from trading him as opposed to just letting him walk in free agency.
In a sign-and-trade with Miami, the Sixers would likely pursue some combination of Josh Richardson, Justise Winslow, Goran Dragic, and Bam Adebayo as part of the deal. Plus, the Heat can’t trade a first-round pick until 2023.
However, there’s a report that the Los Angeles Clippers may also be in the mix for Butler. They are looking into the practicality of signing him and Kawhi Leonard, according to The New York Times. The Clippers have enough cap space to sign both players to maximum-salary contracts.
The Sixers could offer Butler, an eight-year veteran, up to five years and $189 million due to having his Bird rights. He could receive a maximum of salary of $141 million over four years with any other team.
Philly acquired Butler in a blockbuster trade from the Minnesota Timberwolves back in November. Before that, the Heat came close to acquiring him in a trade with Minnesota.