Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Miami Heat Rumors: Jimmy Butler Expected to Test Free Agency

Originally posted on Viral Sports News | By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Jun 27, 2024 11:53 AM ET

As the NBA gets ready for its biggest time of the year with the NBA Draft and free agency, recent Miami Heat rumors have been about what the future holds for Jimmy Butler.

There has been no shortage of rumors as the summer heats up in the NBA. With teams trying to improve to dethrone the Boston Celtics next season, the Miami Heat are trying to figure out what is next for their franchise after years of success.

Recently, the Heat locked up their star big man Bam Adebayo to a big extension and it left many wondering if Jimmy Butler will be next. However, despite being arguably their best player and a fixture on the team for the last number of years, Heat rumors suggest Butler’s future in Miami is in question.

"I'm told (Jimmy Butler) will not be signing an extension with the Heat or any other team ahead of his opt-out in 2025 free agency."@ShamsCharania gave us some updates on Butler's future pic.twitter.com/5jAREMuhbw
— Stadium (@Stadium) June 26, 2024

Butler not signing an extension and looking to test free agency next summer will put the Heat in a very interesting spot next season. If everyone is healthy, the Heat have proven in the Eastern Conference that they can beat anyone on any given night.

However, if Butler is truly thinking about testing free agency to leave, the Heat might try to think ahead and could entertain trading him if the season gets off to a poor start.

While the Heat have a good roster, Jimmy Butler is the guy who leads the team when it’s crunch time. As we have seen in the playoffs in recent years, which included the Heat making the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, “Playoff Jimmy” is a force.

Even though Butler isn’t getting any younger, he would be an extremely highly sought-after free agent next summer. With things not seeming all that great between Jimmy Butler and Miami, perhaps will be seeing him playing his last season in South Beach this coming season.

This article first appeared on Viral Sports News and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: