Philadelphia 76ers: Jimmy Butler race could get crowded this summer

By Christopher Kline | Jun 15, 2019

Jimmy Butler (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Expect multiple teams — including the Philadelphia 76ers, of course — to pursue Jimmy Butler’s services this summer.

As the June 30 moratorium nears, the Philadelphia 76ers are still favorites to re-sign Jimmy Butler. After a rocky start with the franchise, Butler found his groove late in the season and developed a strong rapport with the Sixers’ stars. He seemed to enjoy himself quite a bit during the postseason.

Philadelphia also proved itself to be a legitimate contender in the wide-open Eastern Conference. While Kawhi Leonard‘s star power eventually won out, the Sixers pushed Toronto to seven games before losing at the buzzer. That’s with only two playable reserves.

If the Sixers can lure one or two solid free agents and add talent through the draft — Zhaire Smith will have a summer to get right as well — it’s feasible to consider Philadelphia favorites in the East. Or very close to favorites.

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While there could be a large influx of talent in the Atlantic Division, that doesn’t necessarily equate to teams who can outperform the Sixers. If Kevin Durant joins the Knicks, he will unfortunately miss all of next season. If Kyrie Irving joins the Nets, there are still real flaws to iron out.

Butler should, from a basketball perspective, want to rejoin the Sixers. He knows the system, knows the players and would have a very real chance to win a title as his prime years come to a close. He would have the luxury of aging gracefully next to two generational talents in Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

With that said, free agent decisions often come down to more than basketball. Butler is expected to consider other offers and should have a loaded playing field when free agency begins, even if he’s not on the same tier as Irving or Durant.

First and foremost, the Sixers appear to be frontrunners at the moment. Butler should (and inevitably will) give Philadelphia strong consideration. But the Lakers also have ‘genuine interest‘, according to Yahoo’s Chris Haynes. He would also listen to offers from the Miami Heat.

Those are two prime markets who have obvious allure on location alone. Butler spends a great deal of time in Los Angeles, as do numerous NBA players. Playing next to LeBron James and potentially Anthony Davis in the now-open West seems favorable on paper.

As for Miami, there are complications that would need to be overcome before putting pen to paper. The Heat are cash-strapped and don’t have workable space for a max contract at the moment. It would require using draft picks to offload salary.

In addition to L.A. and Miami, one might expect the Brooklyn Nets to pursue Butler. He has a strong relationship to Irving, who seems close to committed at this stage. Brooklyn, both Irving and Butler in tow, could provide a legitimate obstacle to the Sixers and other Eastern Conference contenders.

New York might also throw money at Butler. The Knicks have two max slots and still have a chance to sign Kevin Durant. He would need to play a season as the lone wolf before KD’s return, but there’s a not-unreasonable chance those two decide to pair up after Kyrie signs elsewhere.

Butler wasn’t great in the 2018-19 regular season, but he was still a borderline All-Star adjusting to a new system. He revived his stock in the playoffs, reminding teams of his brilliance as a shot-maker and secondary ball handler. He was the Sixers’ best offensive player for most of the postseason.

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There will be suitors for Butler, who’s nearing the end of his prime years at 29. He’s going to look for a four-to-five year max to ride out the remainder of those peak seasons in one city. We can’t quite pencil in Philadelphia yet.