Inside The Heat

Jimmy Butler Checks In At No. 21 On Nick Wright's "King Of The Hill" List

Shandel Richardson

Apr 17, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) reacts after a collision during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers in a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 17, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) reacts after a collision during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers in a play-in game of the 2024 NBA playoffs at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
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At 34, some might consider Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler on the downside of his career.

Even at his age, he remains one of the best players in the NBA. That was evident by him making an appearance on the "King Of The Hill" list by FS1's Nick Wright. The selections were revealed earlier this week on "First Things First."

Butler checked in at No. 21 behind Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans.

"For one game, at peak health, I love them both," Wright said. "But over the course of the season, I don't know what I'm getting from them."

Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic topped the list, followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers).

Butler is coming off somewhat of an off year that was impacted by injuries. He averaged 20.8 points, 5.3 rebounds and five assists, helping the Heat make the playoffs for the fifth straight season. Butler sustained a knee injury against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Play-In Tournament. He missed their first-round loss against the eventual champion Boston Celtics.

Now, comes the interesting offseason. Butler is reportedly interested in a two-year deal, which the Heat have yet to commit to. It means he could entertain offers from other teams that have shown interest.

Among the teams that could reportedly pursue Butler are the Golden State Warriors and Philadelphia 76ers. It's been widely noted he wants to remain in Miami, so that is the thinking entering free agency.

Shandel Richardson is the publisher of Inside The Heat. He can be reached at shandelrich@gmail.com

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Shandel Richardson

SHANDEL RICHARDSON

Shandel has covered the NBA since 2010, with previous stops at The Athletic and South Florida Sun-Sentinel.  He has covered six NBA Finals, one Super Bowl, the NCAA basketball tournament. He has also been a beat writer for the Miami Hurricanes and contributed on every major beat in South Florida since 2003, including the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins. He can also be read in the Sportsbook Review for gambling coverage from around the NBA. A native of Bloomington, Illinois, Shandel attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. He's also worked for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Kansas City Star.  TWITTER: @ShandelRich EMAIL: shandelrich@gmail.com You can subscribe to our YouTube channel here Follow all of our Miami Heat coverage on Facebook here