Since 2019, Jimmy Butler has represented the Miami Heat as its face. But his future in South Beach is still up in the air, and he might actually leave next summer.

The Heat were reportedly unwilling to give Butler the maximum contract extension he was reportedly hoping for this summer. It makes sense considering that he has a lengthy history of injuries and is about to age 35.

He is destined to stay in Miami for this season and is expected to be driven to excel. If the Heat are unwilling to give him the contract he wants, he might test the waters in the market the next summer.

Recently, it has been rumored that Butler could end up with the Brooklyn Nets. An idea that, based on the comments on social media, it appears that neither group of fans has found appealing.

There appears to be a new development in the Butler and Nets scenario. It’s also not one that the Heat supporters will enjoy.

The New York Post (via HoopsHype) reports that Butler is not only receptive to Brooklyn but actually like it. He may never even come close to becoming a Net, but it would be irresponsible to rule out the chance.

Next summer, Butler may pursue the final major contract of his career. Among the teams that might be able to provide him that cap room is the Nets.

It’s estimated that the Nets may have cap space available for more than $60 million in the upcoming offseason. Therefore, it would be incorrect to rule out the potential that Butler ends up in Brooklyn.

However, that would also mean excluding the possibility that he would remain in Miami. It all hinges on Butler’s performance in the upcoming season.

The Heat should make an effort to retain him if he performs really well throughout the regular season and in the postseason. However, anticipate the two sides to split ways the next season if Butler plays like he did last season and finds it difficult to stay on the court.

Before the 2024–25 season, the Miami Heat had three questions.

The start of the new NBA season is quickly approaching. We’re going to examine three potential questions that every NBA team may have to answer in order to help prepare for the 2024–25 NBA season.

The Miami Heat are up next, and they definitely want to improve after losing in the first round of the 2024 playoffs.

Are they sufficiently deep?

This summer hasn’t seen much activity in Miami. Despite losing Orlando Robinson, Patty Mills, and Caleb Martin, Alec Burks is the only free agent addition.

For the last two years, there has been uncertainty about the Heat’s depth. The team has frequently tried to find new stars or looked within to replace the regular role players that it is losing.

Finding strategies to keep the Heat competitive with a smaller roster than the one that won the NBA Finals two years ago will be Erik Spoelstra’s task. He has less depth and his star player is two years older. Fans hoping for a lengthy postseason run should be concerned about Miami’s overall roster structure.

Terry Rozier had an offseason with the team; will he prosper?
In an effort to address their playmaking and ball handling problems, the Heat acquired Rozier during the trade deadline on February 8. Sadly, the veteran guard struggled with a number of injuries, which made it difficult for him to settle into his new team’s routine and become accustomed to Spoelstra’s coaching style.

Rozier will surely aim to have a successful season with the Heat now that he has experienced the entire summer. His combination with Bam Adebayo and Jimmy Butler should be quite beneficial. When opponents collapse on Rozier, he can attack off the dribble with tremendous skill and agility. In addition, he has skill at setting up his own shot and making the catch. His gravitas and inquisitive tendencies should therefore make things easier for his elite colleagues.

At guard, Rozier provides Miami with a reliable scoring threat. With him, Spoelstra will have a strong trio around which to base the remainder of his squad if he can hold his own defensively and get along with Butler and Adebayo. If not, the Heat will find it difficult, as they did the previous season, to penetrate opposition defenses in the half-court.

Is Jimmy Butler still the best choice right now?

34 is Butler’s age. In order to perform at his peak during the postseason, he has started to ease off throughout the regular season.

Spoelstra will eventually have to switch to Adebayo as his main attacking option. Butler taking it easy won’t be as detrimental to the offensive system as a whole if more of the offense is run via Adebayo, which will make the Heat more fluid with the ball.

Spoelstra needs to figure out a way to convince Butler to put in a full season of hard work if he wants Butler to stay Miami’s top offensive option. If the Heat are to have any hope of surviving the increasingly challenging Eastern Conference, they have to end with a solid seeding.