The Philadelphia 76ers have been idle thanks to their playoff elimination, but nevertheless, quite the large smoke seethed through every fanbase following what recently unfolded in South Beach that sent shockwaves around the league.
In light of Jimmy Butler roasting the Celtics and Knicks, saying that he would’ve sent both teams home has he been healthy, Pat Riley took a hard pivot and shunned his star player’s remarks, dishing out a cold-blooded verbatim of “If you're not on the court playing against Boston... you should keep your mouth shut” in his end-of-season press conference in Miami.
Pat Riley may have just set the stage for a potential blockbuster 76ers reunion
Clearly, the longtime executive was not having it this time with Butler, who is reportedly seeking a max extension this summer. However, as if to fan the flames even more, Riley also noted than an extension would be dependent on availability, which is a manifest knock on the All-Star forward who led the franchise to two Finals appearances in the last four years.
If this sours even more, then we could see Butler out of Miami in the near future. And what better team to capitalize on that situation than Philadelphia, a franchise which Butler is already familiar with thanks to his brief stint in the city in 2019.
The 76ers are known to be star-hunting this offseason. Alas, multiple outlets have already linked the team to Butler as their fallback option should their rumored pursuit of Paul George in free agency sizzle out.
Philly does have the necessary ammo to lure Butler into heading north, though Butler’s interest in reuniting with the 76ers is up in the air if we’re being generous. After all, it must be remembered that his break-up with the franchise wasn’t exactly the most pleasant of goodbyes.
Nevertheless, the Philadelphia 76ers stand to benefit no matter where this matter ultimately goes. At the end of the day, they are in full control of their destiny this offseason, with another superstar in the fold or not.