Heat Culture is reaching a crossroads. According to the Miami Herald, Jimmy Butler is seeking a contract extension this summer and it sounds like the Miami Heat are going to have to make a decision about the future of the franchise. Extend Butler or prepare for the next phase, whatever that may be.
Butler is the consummate Miami Heat player, but he turns 35 later this year. He missed 22 regular season games this season and appeared in more Fall Out Boy videos than playoff games. It's never been a problem that he misses a big chunk of the regular season because he's been such a great competitor in the postseason. Despite having a reputation for being an iron man under Tom Thibodeau during his early days, he's only played 70 games in a season twice in his entire career and hasn't appeared in more than 65 games since 2017 when he was still in Chicago.
But again, that hasn't mattered because he would show up when the games really mattered. He was "Playoff Jimmy" and he helped Miami reach the NBA Finals twice in his first four seasons with the franchise. This year, with him unvailable during the regular season the Heat finished with the 8th best record in the Eastern Conference for the second straight year. Instead of making a miraculous run to the Finals, they were eliminated in five games by a hated rival.
