(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
The Miami Heat might have a tough situation on their hands right now.
Jimmy Butler is eligible to sign a contract extension.
Pat Riley made some comments calling out Butler for his antics vs. the Boston Celtics, stating that players who weren’t on the floor shouldn’t be talking.
That, plus the fact that he’s set to turn 35 years old has raised some questions about his future with the organization.
So, with the Los Angeles Lakers in the hunt for a third star, and the Philadelphia 76ers reportedly having interest, Udonis Haslem wants to keep him in South Beach.
In the latest edition of ESPN’s Get Up, Haslem claimed that he wasn’t going to allow Butler to leave, so they could just shut down all those rumors.
“[The Lakers] have a better chance of getting Bronny than they do Jimmy [Butler]. … You gotta go through me. I’m standing at the county line.”
—@ThisIsUD on possible free agency moves pic.twitter.com/0q9FLg90Tk
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 29, 2024
He said that Butler would have to go through him, so that’s not happening.
All jokes aside, that’s just how they deal with stuff in the Heat organization.
Riley will always speak his mind, and Butler is the kind of person who can understand and respect that.
Of course, things could get a little trickier if the Heat are unwilling to offer him the max contract extension he could get somewhere else, as money is always king and will come before culture and whatnot.
On the other hand, offering a 35-year-old player with a history of injuries a max contract extension might not be in any team’s best interests, even if it’s Jimmy Butler we’re talking about here.
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