Heat star Jimmy Butler linked to East rival as a free agent next summer

Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat agreed to punt talks of a contract extension to next summer, but a new potential destination has emerged if they cannot hammer out a new deal.

The report: Jimmy Butler "likes" the Brooklyn Nets as a potential free agent destination next summer.

Butler could become a free agent next offseason and “likes Brooklyn,” according to Brian Lewis of the New York Post.

Butler has a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season and can opt out next summer to become a free agent and sign a longer-term deal in Miami or elsewhere.

The Brooklyn Nets are projected to have at least $80 million in cap space next summer. After trading Mikal Bridges and reacquiring many of their future draft picks, they could be looking for a new face of the franchise.

Our two cents

Butler’s affinity for New York is well known. He spends a lot of time there during the offseason and has a social media partnership with New York-based ice cream chain Van Leeuwen. When identifying potential destinations for Butler, should he leave Miami, New York makes a lot of sense for his business interests.

The question is whether the Nets “like” Butler. After launching their rebuild, how motivated would they be to sign a 36-year-old Butler to a lucrative contract? Perhaps they’d want to jump-start the process, but they would not be in the same position the Philadelphia 76ers were in this summer when seeking to pair a star-level player with Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.

Still, if Butler is to become a free agent next summer, the Nets cannot be ruled out.