NBA insider: Jimmy Butler and other elite forwards connected to the 76ers
The Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers’ seasons ended on opposite nights this week, and speculations about Heat star Jimmy Butler joining the 76ers are already circulating.
NBA expert Brian Windhorst spoke on ESPN’s “Get Up” on Friday morning and said that Butler is one of the talents the 76ers may pursue this offseason.
“There’s going to be a number of names that come up, but I’m going to give you two right away,” Windhorst said, identifying Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers as the 76ers’ initial target. “Both feature players who have the opportunity to extend their contracts with their teams but will not do so for various reasons.
“The first name to watch is Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler. He has two years remaining on his deal. There is interest in him extending, and as you may recall, and I know Sixers fans do, the Sixers picked Tobias Harris’ deal over paying Jimmy Butler five years ago. So, the contract is up. Is there a way to review that if Jimmy Butler wants to extend and the Heat are unwilling to do so, despite the fact that they will face hefty luxury tax penalties?”
Windhorst also named Brandon Ingram, who plays for the New Orleans Pelicans.
If the 76ers had to pick between Ingram and Butler, they’d have some clear criteria to consider. Age and experience are undoubtedly the most essential factors.
Butler is presently 34 years old and will be 35 in September. Ingram, on the other hand, is only 26 years old.
With that in mind, Ingram has had minimal postseason success during his career. Butler has led the Heat to two NBA Finals series in the previous four years.
Aside from that, Butler and Ingram have extremely distinct playing styles and leadership qualities. Still, it may be difficult for Philadelphia’s decision-makers to feel comfortable handing a max contract to a 34-year-old player who recently missed his team’s entire playoff run due to injury.
While the playoff pursuit continues for the NBA’s best teams this season, offseason turmoil has already begun for the clubs who did not advance to the second round.
Only time will tell where this drama goes.
