Pat Riley: Jimmy Butler extension to depend on availability - ESPN

MIAMI — If Jimmy Butler wants to see more pay, Pat Riley will want to see more play.

And in simple terms, that is the entry point to this offseason for the Miami Heat.

Butler is almost certainly going to ask the Heat for a two-year extension this summer — it could guarantee him as much as $113 million for the 2025-26 and 2026-27 seasons — and Riley said Monday in his annual end-of-season remarks that he isn't sure what the team will do when that moment arrives.

«We have not discussed that internally right now,» Riley said. «We have to look at making that kind of commitment and when do we do it. We don't have to do it until 2025, actually. But we'll see. We haven't made a decision on it, and we haven't really in earnest discussed it.»

There are a number of factors the Heat will consider — Butler's playing time among them. He is, without question, an elite player whose time in Miami has been loaded with some signature performances, especially in the playoffs. But he turns 35 in September and has missed 100 regular-season games in his five Miami seasons, sitting out for injuries, rest or other reasons nearly 26% of the time.

He suffered a knee injury during the play-in tournament this season and missed Miami's Round 1 playoff loss to Boston.

«That's a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you have somebody who's going to be there and available every single night,» Riley said. «That's the truth.»

Riley spoke for about 40 minutes, with many of his remarks surrounding Butler, and he lauded Miami's highest-paid player multiple times — even saying he «moves the needle the most» and that he's «an incredible player.» The Heat have 268 total wins in Butler's five seasons, fifth most in the NBA over that