The star of the Heat, Jimmy Butler. The tough guy who is known for his toughness on the pitch has broken the hearts of fans lately. Just after the playoffs, the Heat were eliminated by the Celtics in the first round with a 4-1 record, and before fans could recover from the disappointment, the news came that Butler might leave the team.
Butler's Renewal Terms: Is It a Lion's Big Mouth or Is It Worth the Money?
Butler's contract extension conditions have been exposed, according to the Miami Herald reporter Anthony Jiang's revelations, Butler and his team offered the Heat a two-year contract extension with a maximum salary of $113 million. Considering that Butler is 35 years old this year, this number is not a small number for any team. But the question is, is Butler worth the price? This season, he has played in 60 games, averaging 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game, which is a core player on any team. What's more, his leadership on the pitch and his decisiveness in key moments are not fully reflected in the data.
The Heat's Choice: Keep Butler or Rebuild?
The Heat are torn between two years left on Butler's contract with the Heat, which includes a player option. If the Heat don't agree to Butler's contract extension this offseason, he may choose to leave the team after next season. For the Heat, such an outcome is unacceptable to them. On the one hand, Butler is still at the heart of the team, and his departure means that the team needs to rebuild, and on the other hand, if Butler is retained, the team's salary space will be locked up, which will affect the team's future recruitment plans.
Butler's career: the last contract?
For Butler, this early contract extension could well be the last of his career. By then, he will be 37 years old, an age that has entered the twilight of a professional basketball player's career. Therefore, it is only natural that Butler and his team want to get a guaranteed contract that ensures that he will not take a veteran base salary until he retires, and no other player in the league can do that except for Curry and James. But the question is, is the shrewd Riley willing to pay for a player who is about to enter his twilight years?
The Heat's championship dream seems to have become distant after Butler's arrival, and even though he has been performing well with the Heat, it is a pity that the team has not won a championship under his leadership. This is also the biggest question about Butler's ability to lead the team, Butler can only ensure the lower limit of a team, but not the upper limit of the team, which is also an important reason why he has not been able to lead the Heat to win the championship.
What will the future hold for the Heat? Will Butler stay? These questions are still unanswered. What is certain is that Butler's contract extension will have a direct impact on the Heat's development in the coming years. As fans, we'll just have to wait and see what choices the Heat make. I hope the Heat can do well in future games, and I hope Butler can continue to shine on the court.