The upcoming 2024-25 season will be a very pivotal one for Miami Heat star forward Jimmy Butler.
Butler, 34, chose not to sign an extension with the Heat–or any other team, should he have been traded–this offseason. He was eligible for a two-year, $112.6 million extension with the Heat this offseason, which would’ve essentially added one additional year–worth $58.5 million–in 2026-27.
He is coming off arguably the most serious injury of his career, suffering a sprained MCL in the team’s opening play-in game against Philadelphia. That comes off the heels of him missing multiple foot, knee and ankle injuries over the last calendar year.
Miami’s star isn’t getting any younger. Though according to ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst, Butler’s going to be in “killer mode” this upcoming season.
“Jimmy Butler–highly motivated to be a free agent–I think is a different animal,” Windhorst said on the latest episode of The Hoop Collective last week. “The Heat have had absolutely miserable health luck the last couple years. Miserable.
“At times, it seems like Jimmy looks for reasons not to play. And maybe that will be the prevailing situation. But I believe that Jimmy is going to be in killer mode to try to prove himself to the Heat and whoever else in the league (this season).”
Brian Windhorst says Jimmy Butler & the Heat will have a bounce back year
“Jimmy Butler I think is highly motivated, at times it looks like he’s looking for reasons not to play, but I think he’ll be in KILLER mode to prove himself to the Heat.”
(via The Hoop collective)
h/t… pic.twitter.com/qFlUTTcFs5— Hot Hot Hoops (@hothothoops) August 18, 2024
In terms of games missed due to injury, the Heat had the 10th-most (255) last season, according to Spotrac. Though per the site’s “cash per days missed” metric, the Heat were sixth, trailing only the Brooklyn Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies.
We’ve seen what Butler’s capable of–even in a regular season, specifically after the New Year–when he’s locked in. He’s two years removed from having the best season of his career and, non-coincidentally, the best playoff run before spraining his ankle in the Eastern Conference semis against New York.
But his health is the biggest question mark. Again, he’s not getting any younger and his body isn’t getting any healthier. The wear-and-tear one’s body accumulates stacks up over time. He’s played in 75 percent of the team’s games just twice over his five seasons with the Heat. He missed 22 games last year–in part due to personal reasons–but had a down season in terms of his impact whenever he was on the court.
Butler now enters the penultimate year of a three-year, $146 million extension he signed with the Heat ahead of the 2021-22 season. Butler’s on the books for $48.8 million this season with a $52.4 million player option in 2025-26, accounting for 28.6 and 27.9 percent of the projected salary cap, respectively, according to Spotrac.
If Butler has a bad–or injury-plagued–season, I would foresee him opting into his $52.2 million player option and do the same dance next season. Mentally, he probably wants to prove naysayers wrong–and he’ll be in position to if he can stay healthy. It’s what the organization wants, and for Miami to get where it wants to go, Miami’s going to need its “biggest needle mover” to remain healthy.
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Which Jimmy will show up?
2 or 4
I’m hoping…as long as it’s not 5 or 6. He’ll be gone in a “New York Minute” if he does.