Jimmy Butler Trade, Signing Would Make 76ers Instant Favorite in East Amid NBA Rumors

Jimmy Butler played for the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2018-19 season and it appears the organization is interested in acquiring the six-time All-Star.

Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that "according to sources, the Sixers are prepared to give Butler a maximum-salary extension if things align and he forces a trade out of Miami."

According to Pompey, reports have the Heat preparing to trade Butler rather than signing him to his desired $113 million extension, despite team president Pat Riley telling reporters on May 6 that the organization has no plans to trade its star forward.

With $65 million in available cap space, and five first-round draft picks at their disposal beginning in 2026-27, the Sixers believe they have the assets to acquire Butler or any other potential game-changing third star to pair with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, who is expected to sign a max deal of his own this off-season.

Acquiring Butler would instantly enhance the Sixers and make them the favorite to win a relatively weak Eastern Conference.

Butler would be an instant upgrade over Tobias Harris, who is expected to depart Philadelphia in free agency, not to mention Paul Reed and Nicolas Batum, at the forward position.

The 34-year-old played his most minutes per game since that 2018-19 season (33.2), averaging 20.8 points per game, a field goal percentage of .499, the highest three-point percentage of his career at .414, five assists, 1.3 steals, 0.3 blocks, and 5.3 rebounds.

According to Basketball Reference, he was worth 9.1 wins, good enough for 13th in the league.

There are questions about Butler's health. He has not played at least 65 games in a season since, you guessed it, 2018-19.

Riley was vocal about the importance of availability to signing and re-signing players when speaking to reporters after Miami's playoff loss to Boston this postseason. "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," Pompey recalled in his report.

While availability has been an issue in recent years, there is little denying how important he has been to Miami being in contention during his time with the team. "Playoff Jimmy" led the team to two NBA Finals (2020, 23) and performed his best when it mattered most.

Butler averaged 26.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in 22 playoff games in 2023. More importantly, he took over games, dominating the opposition and advancing his eighth-seeded team to the championship series.

Which is something that has not always been said about Embiid.

As great as Philly's big man is in the regular season, including his 2022-23 MVP season, he has not always shined when the lights were brightest. While the numbers are only slightly down from his regular season averages, including just three fewer points per game, he has not been able to take over games the way he had earlier in the season.

Maxey was the star of the Sixers' late-season run and play-in series appearance this season. However, it often felt like the team was still one player away from making a legitimate run by getting past Butler's Heat and posing a real threat to the conference-best Boston.

Acquiring Butler gives the team the playoff difference-maker who can set the tone, establish dominance, and be the player that fans and analysts can point to as the leader when pressure is at its highest and believe he can guide them to the next round.

The Sixers have been linked to Paul George this offseason. There is an edge that Butler plays with, though, that the team desperately needs if it has aspirations of bringing an NBA title to the City of Brotherly Love while Embiid is in his prime and Maxey is a rising star.

Acquiring Butler in a move that the team can afford, and letting him bring his edge and playoff-excelling mentality to that locker room would provide the 76ers the spark they need to shed the "disappointment" label and become the undisputed favorite to win the Eastern Conference next season.