The Cleveland Cavaliers have been granted permission to interview two more head-coaching candidates in the franchise's ongoing search, including New York Knicks associate head coach Johnnie Bryant and Miami Heat top assistant Chris Quinn, sources told ESPN on Friday.
May 2024 Miami Heat Wiretap
The Golden State Warriors are expected to express interest in trading for Jimmy Butler should he become available, according to Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Butler is interested in a two-year extension this offseason, which the Miami Heat are believed to be resistant to offering.
Brandon Ingram, however, is not a potential trade target that the Warriors would expected to be interested in pursuing. There has been considerable speculation that the New Orleans Pelicans will entertain trading Ingram as they balance out their roster and salary cap.
Jimmy Butler has at least three teams willing to trade for him this offseason with the intent of then signing him to a max-level extension, sources tell Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.
Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer reported earlier this week that the Sixers have interest in trading for and then extending Butler.
The two-year max extension that Butler and his camp will push for this offseason includes salaries of $54.3 million for the 25-26 season and $58.6 million for 26-27.
Butler would be eligible to sign the same two-year, $113 million extension that he can sign with the Heat with any team he’s traded to because his Bird Rights carry over in a trade, but that deal could not be agreed upon for six months.
Butler would ideally like to finish his career with the Heat, but he also is seeking the extension.
Caron Butler has signed a four-year deal to remain as an assistant coach under Erik Spoelstra with the Miami Heat.
Butler has spent the past four seasons as an assistant coach with the Heat.
The Philadelphia 76ers are prepared to offer Jimmy Butler a max contract extension this offseason if they acquire him via trade from the Miami Heat, sources tell Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Butler has $48.8 million guaranteed for next season and a player option for $52.2 million for the 2025-26 season. Butler would like a two-year max extension worth $113 million. Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald followed up Pompey's report by indicating that "whether it's from the Heat or another team, [Butler] wants a max extension."
While Butler has said he wants to remain with the Heat, there is believed to be some level of reluctance to extend him this offseason.
The Sixers could offer future draft capital and cap relief to the Heat as they have enough cap space to absorb his contract without sending back anything in return.
Philadelphia would prefer to sign Paul George, but Butler is a secondary option.
The future of Jimmy Butler with the Miami Heat has come into question after he missed their first round series against the Boston Celtics and is eligible in July for a contract extension worth up to $112.9 million over two seasons. Pat Riley was publicly non-committal on the possibility of an extension for Butler when he addressed the media this week.
"He has clearly wanted to be in Miami," said Shams Charania. "He has seen that as a perfect marriage of sorts."
The Heat tried to trade for Damian Lillard last offseason to improve their roster around Butler and Bam Adebayo. There are questions of whether the Heat roster is good enough to continue competing at a championship level as Butler ages.
"It is interesting the back and forth that we're seeing, but I think Jimmy Butler has always made it clear he wants to be in Miami long-term, it's going to be about will they be able to pay him what he wants," said Charania.
Jimmy Butler is eligible for a two-year contract extension with the Miami Heat worth as much as $113 million to cover the 25-26 and 26-27 seasons. Pat Riley revealed that the Heat have not internally discussed that possibility yet.
"We have not discussed that internally right now," Riley said. "We have to look at making that kind of commitment and when do we do it. We don't have to do it until 2025, actually. But we'll see. We haven't made a decision on it, and we haven't really in earnest discussed it."
Butler's injury issues will potentially be a factor in Miami's calculus.
"That's a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you have somebody who's going to be there and available every single night," Riley said. "That's the truth."
Riley also criticized Butler's comments about the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks.
"If I was playing, Boston would be at home, New York damn sure would ... be at home," said Butler.
"I thought, 'Is that Jimmy trolling or is that Jimmy serious?' If you're not on the court playing against Boston or on the court playing against the New York Knicks, you should keep your mouth shut on the criticism of those teams," Riley said.
Jimmy Butler reportedly wants an extension from the Miami Heat this offseason. Butler has two years remaining on his current deal, including a player option for 2025-26. It's unknown where the Heat stand on adding even more guaranteed money to their payroll moving forward. Butler will turn 35 years old ahead of next season and missed the Heat's first-round series loss to the Boston Celtics due to a knee injury.
If the Heat balk at extending Butler, rival teams believe the Philadelphia 76ers could attempt to swing a trade for the veteran wing. The Sixers project to have more than $60 million in cap space this summer. Daryl Morey will be seeking to fill out the roster around Joel Embiid and re-sign Tyrese Maxey.
Butler previously played for part of one season with the 76ers. Philadelphia acquired Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves. Following the end of the 2018-19 season, Butler was acquired by the Heat in a sign-and-trade deal with the Sixers.
Bam Adebayo will become eligible to sign a three-year, $165 million extension with the Miami Heat this offseason.
If Adebayo signs for his max, the new deal would begin with a $51.2 million salary in 26-27, when Adebayo will be 29 years old.
Adebayo signed a five-year, $164 million deal with the Heat in 2020.
Jimmy Butler becomes eligible to sign a contract extension with the Miami Heat this offseason on July 7th. Butler is signed for 24-25 at $48.8 million and holds a $52.4 million player option for 25-26.
Butler could sign a one-year extension for 26-27 at $58.6 million, or he could sign a two-year, $112.9 million option that covers both 25-26 and 26-27, which would void his $52.4 million option for 25-26.
Butler signed a four-year, $184 million extension with the Heat during the 2021 offseason after Year 2 of his four-year, $142 million deal signed in 2019.
Butler will turn 35 before the start of the 24-25 season.