The Philadelphia 76ers might be the most interesting team to watch in the entire NBA this offseason. Heading into the summer, only Joel Embiid and Paul Reed are under contract, while the assumption is the team is going to give Tyrese Maxey a whole lot of money as the running mate they’ve long wanted to put alongside their MVP big man.
This begs the question: What’s Philly going to do with all that money? According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, they wouldn’t hate to spend it on an old friend, as the team would be ready, willing, and able to give a max extension to Jimmy Butler in the event the Miami Heat trade him.
Via the Philadelphia Inquirer:
The Sixers view him as a fallback option if they are unable to sign Paul George in free agency.
And, according to sources, the Sixers are prepared to give Butler a maximum-salary extension if things align and he forces a trade out of Miami.
Butler is in a strange spot, as he isn’t able to become a free agent until next summer but he’s eligible to get a two-year max extension. Despite that, Pat Riley made it sound like he’s in no rush to pay his All-Star guard, who turns 35 in September, nor is he in any rush to try and trade Butler. As such, the ball would presumably be in Butler’s court if he wants to force the team’s hand, and if there is one thing we know about Jimmy Butler, it’s that he has no qualms about turning up the heat on a team if it helps him get his way.
Adding to the intrigue here is that Butler, of course, used to play for the Sixers, as the team acquired him in a trade with the Minnesota Timberwolves after he forced his way out of there. He only spent 55 games and one playoff run with the team, though, as he entered free agency after that year and was sent to Miami via a sign-and-trade. Despite the fact he left the team, Embiid and Butler have remained complimentary of one another over the years.