The Miami Heat’s championship window with star Jimmy Butler at the helm is coming to an end.
Heat president Pat Riley rarely extends contracts for players who aren’t max-deserving, meaning it shouldn’t come as a surprise that this is Butler’s final season in Miami. Bleacher Report has suggested that New Orleans Pelicans star Brandon Ingram could replace the 35-year-old.
“Even if Butler remains with Miami beyond the summer of 2025, it’s probably fair to expect that the ‘face of the franchise’ role will soon be passed to someone else (presumably Bam Adebayo),” Andy Bailey of B/R wrote:“All of this suggests that the Heat may be looking for a new forward.”
The best option for the Heat would be to allow sophomore Jaime Jaquez Jr. to become a franchise pillar. If that’s not possible, a big-money trade would be more reasonable. Ingram isn’t a regular All-Star, but he regularly averages 20 points on efficient shooting.
“Of course, Ingram isn’t on track to be the next Butler. Far from it,” Bailey wrote. “And Miami could reasonably convince itself that Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Tyler Herro would eventually replace their current superstar. But adding Ingram could give those two a little more breathing room.”
Riley isn’t afraid to bring in outside talent, but it has to be at the right price.
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Anthony Pasciolla works as a contributing writer for Miami Heat On SI. You can contact him at [email protected] or follow him on X @AnthonyPasci.
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