Jimmy Butler has made the most of his All-Star career financially, but the 37-year-old could put that to the side and sacrifice in order make sure the curtain comes down for him at the Golden State Warriors.
Butler evidently didn't want to sacrifice financially to remain with the Miami Heat, upending his relationship with the franchise which led to his move to the Warriors on a two-year, $111 million extension in February last year.
Jimmy Butler could make unprecented sacrifice to remain with Warriors
At 37-years-old and still recovering from a torn ACL, Butler clearly won't be worth the kind of max contract he's been on ever since joining the Heat in a sign-and-trade from the Philadelphia 76ers in 2019.
However, he could still take less than market value to ensure he finishes his career at Golden State, with The Athletic's Nick Friedell reporting that Butler and fellow veteran forward Draymond Green have expressed a desire to retire at the franchise.
What that looks like from a contract standpoint remains to be seen, and assessing Butler's actually market value is practically impossible until he returns to the floor from injury in January or February. Yet after Stephen Curry took a discount on the two-year, $116 million extension he signed on Friday, it's safe to assume Butler will have to take considerably less if he too wants to secure his future with the franchise.
Butler's contract situation suddenly becomes arguably the most interesting on the team in the wake of Curry's extension We know that Brandin Podziemski will get something between $15-20 million if an extension takes place, while Green will surely be worth less than $10 million on what could be the final contract of his career. Butler, on the other hand, has a broad range that likely exists between the non-taxpayer mid-level exception and $30-40 million per year.
Jimmy Butler needs contract discussions before trade deadline
As much as Butler and the Warriors will be solely focused on his return to the floor mid-season, it would be worth he and the front office discussing his contract situation in the weeks prior to February's trade deadline.
Golden State may look to use Butler's $57 million expiring contract in a trade, but their perspective on that may change if the 15-year veteran is willing to take an incredibly team-friendly deal to remain with the franchise beyond this season.
There's no doubt the Warriors have shown loyalty to Butler by not trading him yet during his injury recovery, and that loyalty could pay off if the star forward takes the pay cut he wasn't willing to make in Miami.
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