The Miami Heat are facing a pivotal offseason, and for the first time in a while, there is a feeling their team could look considerably different next season.

A lot of that uncertainty surrounds Jimmy Butler, their leader and best player, as he is a year away from being able to opt-out of his contract and become a free agent.

There has been speculation that he could be traded this summer, and whether he gets traded or not, he wants a max contract extension, per Anthony Chiang of the Miami Herald.

Ever since he came to the Heat in 2019, Butler has been their centerpiece, and he has embraced the Heat’s much-lauded culture.

While he may not be an elite player based on his production, he is absolutely an elite player come crunch time, and his exploits in late-game situations remind many of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

Behind those exploits, the Heat have gone to the NBA Finals in two of the last five seasons, but with Butler out of the playoffs this year, they exited in the first round.

If Butler does get traded, the Philadelphia 76ers could be interested, and they would reportedly offer him that max extension if they were to land him, per Keith Pompey.