NBA Rumors: Butler Says Rift With Embiid, Simmons Overblown

Jimmy Butler has been doing well this NBA season, a reason why the Miami Heat are running fourth in the NBA Eastern Conference and will surprisingly make the playoffs. First off, no one expected them to make it in the first place with the team banking more on young players to provide the all-star swingman help. It turns out that these youngsters, Duncan Robinson, Bam Adebayo, and Kendrick Nunn among others, responded to the challenge.

Ironically, Butler does not have a good track record when it comes to playing alongside younger NBA stars. Most know how things ended up between him opposite Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins with the Minnesota Timberwolves. And that did not stop. He also had some qualms with Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons when he moved to the Philadelphia 76ers. Now, the 6-foot-7 cager has set the records straight as far as his stint with the Sixers is concerned.

Butler told Sports Illustrated that he never had a problem with Embiid and Simmons last NBA season. In fact, he bats that they are all still in talking terms. He added that it just did not work out in the manner they wanted to. Hence he opted to move forward but admits it was a learning experience.

True enough, Butler's stay with the Sixers was not as raucous as the time when he was in Minnesota. Last NBA season, he played in 55 games averaging 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists, per Basketball-Reference.com. This year, the 30th overall pick of the 2011 NBA Draft is enjoying career-best numbers. In 48 games, he is good for 20.5 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 6.2 assists. With those numbers, he has been living up to the hype of being the Heat's new franchise star.

Compared to previous years, Butler has hardly complained about his teammates. it would be something rare for critics who have followed his career, aware that some tantrum could be popping up. That has not happened and the Heat are rolling. They are currently at fourth spot with a 37-22 win-loss record in the Eastern Conference with the Sixers ironically not far behind.

Clearing that now hints that contract talks could have been the reason behind Butler's move to the Heat. Miami gave him a four-year deal worth $140.8 million and the investment has so far been paying off. Philly reportedly did not offer the five-time NBA-All star a five-year contract and his beef with the coaching staff may have had something to do with it. Surprisingly, none of that has happened in Miami as of this writing.