After the Miami Heat’s win over the Atlanta Hawks in the preseason home finale win, 120-111, Jimmy Butler had an impressive game scoring 24 points on an efficient eight for 11 shooting. While Heat’s president Pat Riley was non-committal on Butler’s contract extension earlier in the year, the question was revisited Thursday about a possible deal with the star.
The Heat under Butler has had a successful five years where the team saw two NBA Finals appearances, but not a championship, as the 35-year old was seeking a new extension this past offseason. Fast forward to the present where a deal was not met in the summer and there could be an opportunity Butler leaves the Heat next offseason, but when Riley was asked about the possibility of that, he didn’t seem too worried according to Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald.
“I wouldn’t want to,” Riley said. “He’s going to have the ability to opt and we’re going to have the ability to extend. So I’m trying to get all that thinking out of our heads because it’s living in the present moment and playing basketball. So if there’s something that’s going to drag me down or him down because of that, then we’re not going to perform at a certain level. But I think he’s embraced exactly where he’s at, I think he understands where we’re at.”
Heat’s Pat Riley on possible conversations with Jimmy Butler on a deal
Butler was initially seeking a two-year extension worth $113 million and can still get it if Miami decides to sign him by the deadline of June 30. In terms of conversations between the two, Riley would say that he hasn’t had too many with Butler about a possible new deal…