Jimmy Butler and the Philadelphia 76ers are going their separate ways, and an unwillingness to empty out the bank for him appeared to be the cause.
Appearing Sunday on “SportsCenter,” ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Sixers did not offer Butler the five-year max contract that he wanted and were not even willing to extend a four-year max offer.
Woj on Butler to Miami: “Philadelphia was not giving him that 5-year max he wanted. They weren’t giving him a 4-year max. They were out of the Jimmy Butler business.” pic.twitter.com/LkkZNQFLns
— (@dru_star) July 1, 2019
Butler wound up getting a full four-year max from the Miami Heat in a sign-and-trade deal that netted the Sixers 25-year-old Josh Richardson. That also opened the door for Philly to retain Tobias Harris, who got a five-year, $180 million deal, and to land Al Horford for four years and $109 million.
The four-time All-Star Butler is a tremendous talent, but he does come with his fair share of character concerns. That combined with the availability of comparable options elsewhere likely gave the Sixers leverage to let him walk.
