After the Miami Heat were eliminated by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs, talks about Jimmy Butler’s future with the team have begun to emerge.
Butler missed the playoffs with an injury. While it may seem straightforward to aim for a comeback with a healthy Butler next season, his age and the potential enormity of his contract moving forward remain significant considerations.
Contrary to the widespread desire to keep Butler in Miami, there’s speculation about the 34-year-old veteran considering a switch to another solid Eastern Conference team, namely the New York Knicks.
The Knicks have performed impressively in the playoffs, even making it to the second round. As they prove successful without their star power forward Julius Randle, there’s now a trade idea suggesting Butler could head to the Knicks in exchange for Randle.
Per Miami Herald:
“I like the Randle idea for Miami, but I’m not sure I like it for New York,” the scout said. With Butler at $48.8 million next season and Randle at $30.3 million, the Knicks would need to include another player or players to make the money commensurate. The Knicks’ inclusion of Bojan Bogdanovic, due to make $19 million in an expiring contract, would make the numbers work on that Butler/Randle hypothetical.
