Jimmy Butler's Cryptic Instagram Post Suggests He Could Be Leaving Philly
By Brian Cass
If you talk to any Philadelphia 76ers fan after their devastating playoff loss at the hands of Kawhi Leonard's ridiculous buzzer beater, almost all of them are in agreement about one thing: bring back Jimmy Butler no matter the cost.
Butler is likely going to get a max contract from any team he plays for next season. We haven't heard anything from the Sixers organization yet on their offseason plans with Jimmy Buckets, but this latest Instagram post could be foreshadowing his fate this summer.
The caption reads: to philly. and my teammates. THANK YOU. ❤️❤️
Of course, this post could be interpreted in a number of different ways. He could simply be thanking Philly fans for a great season. But, as most of us have already assumed upon seeing the post, this could also be his farewell to Philly fans.
No one in Philly wants to see Butler walk, especially after the postseason he had. While Ben Simmons struggled to get an offensive rhythm going in the half court, Butler assumed the point and sparked the lifeless Sixers offense. Without him, they likely wouldn't have taken Toronto to seven games.
Although Butler should be the Sixers No. 1 priority heading into the offseason, he's not the only player who the team would like to retain.
Tobias Harris is also set to become a free agent, and he'll also likely be seeking a max deal. Philly has the money to keep both and 'run it back' as many fans have said, but no one really knows what the organization's intentions are for these two stars this summer.
If the fans had their way, Jimmy would be given a blank check once free agency starts. But unfortunately, that's not how it works in professional sports, so we'll all have to patient and wait to see what happens come summer time.