With a Game 6 loss against the New York Knicks on Thursday night, the Philadelphia 76ers entered the 2024 offseason much earlier than usual, as the Knicks will be the ones to advance to the second round over Philly.

Now that the Sixers’ summer of draft capital and cap space is underway, they have already been linked to a handful of potential free agents and trade targets. Miami Heat All-Star Jimmy Butler is one name to keep an eye on, as The Athletic’s David Aldridge recently created smoke about a potential Sixers-Butler reunion.

What’s the Smoke?

Let’s make this clear: There hasn’t been a Jimmy Butler trade request in Miami, and the Sixers haven’t reportedly shown interest in their former trade acquisition just yet.

But lately, there have been some hints that Butler would like a short-term extension, and Miami might be hesitant to make that happen.

In the past, we’ve learned that where this is smoke with Jimmy Butler, there is likely fire. And the last time Butler really wanted a change, he was traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the 76ers.

Aldridge suggests that the one that essentially got away should make his way back to South Philly to help Joel Embiid and the Sixers get over the playoff hump.

“With Joel Embiid’s knees not getting any younger, the Sixers should look at engineering a reunion with Butler, who played one season here (2018-19) before forcing a trade to the Heat, where he’s led Miami to two NBA Finals appearances and a conference final in five seasons. There are signs — subtle ones, because it’s Miami — that era could be nearing a tipping point.”

Butler Goes Viral

Just as the Butler-Philly smoke fires up at the start of the offseason, the veteran standout once again shows the fire he brings to an organization.

As Butler encourages a cameraman to keep the recording rolling while out and about, the Miami Heat star confidently talked about how his presence would’ve shaken up the Eastern Conference Playoff picture, and he would’ve made sure that the Heat and Sixers’ first-round opponents would be at home when the second round started.

“If I was playing, Boston would be at home,” Butler claimed. “New York DAMN sure would be at home … Josh Hart? Come on, man. I love [Tom Thibodeau]. Thhibs, I love you, baby. I wanna beat you to a pulp. You want me, I don’t want you. It’s like a one-sided relationship. You in love with me, and I love you! But I’m not in love with you. You know what I’m saying?”

Playoff Jimmy Butler is a different beast compared to the regular season. Last year, Butler and the Heat put together one of the most unexpected postseason runs, as they entered the bracket as the eighth seed before taking out the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks, fifth-seeded New York Knicks, and second-seeded Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.

The 2023 NBA Finals is where they were stopped just short of their goal as they lost to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets.

Butler and the Heat entered the 2024 playoffs in a similar fashion. After losing to the Sixers in the NBA Play-In Tournament for the battle of the seventh seed, the Heat went on to lock up the eighth seed once again. However, they lost Butler in the battle against the Sixers, as he injured his ankle at the Wells Fargo Center. The Heat star never got the chance to take on the Celtics this season.

Miami dropped out with a gentleman’s sweep against Boston, but Butler is confident the series would’ve went in a different direction had he remained healthy.

It’s unclear what’s next for Butler and Miami. The same can be said for the Sixers, who are expected to see some major roster changes this summer.

If the former Philly fan favorite becomes available, he should be considered.