![]TORONTO, ON - MAY 07: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers gestures during Game Five of the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on May 7, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/f9f24181476534f35a54a0d952f64ab227190d4423810f936c4c024e64f5f234.jpg "]TORONTO, ON - MAY 07: Jimmy Butler #23 of the Philadelphia 76ers gestures during Game Five of the second round of the 2019 NBA Playoffs against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on May 7, 2019 in Toronto, Canada. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Vaughn Ridley/Getty Images)")
Has Jimmy Butler played his final game as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers?
Not long after the Philadelphia 76ers were eliminated by the Toronto Raptors in the playoffs, the talk was already beginning to heat up over what the future held for Jimmy Butler in the City of Brotherly Love.
With the star forward looking to potentially land a max deal this offseason, Butler made it clear right away that he hadn’t been thinking about the upcoming free agency period, and whether Game 7 was in fact his final time suiting up with the Sixers.
After failing to land another superstar last summer to play alongside Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, Philadelphia was able to acquire Butler from the Minnesota Timberwolves early on in the 2018-19 season.
To put the team in even better position, the Sixers acquired Tobias Harris before the deadline to give them an amazing starting lineup that looked like one of the best on paper in the Eastern Conference, although it obviously would have been better to see them play together more.
For a team that many believed were talented enough to make a run at the NBA Finals, words can’t even describe how disappointing it was to watch Philadelphia eliminated in the semifinals for a second year in a row.
Now, the real fun begins for the Sixers over the next couple of months when it comes to determining which players, mainly Butler, will be back in the picture for the 2018-19 season.
After looking at how great of a fit he was during the regular season along with the impressive play from the playoffs, it’s safe to assume that Philadelphia would love to see Butler return, but also money is going to be a huge factor in whether it happens.
Butler hasn’t been shy about his belief in being worthy of a max deal, and while there hasn’t been any realistic reasons for concern, an Instagram post by the star forward has sent some Sixers fans into panic mode.
As seen in the post, Butler “thanks” Philly and his teammates, but no one knows exactly what he’s referring to.
Is this Butler indicating that he’s played his final game in Philadelphia, or is he simply just thanking everyone for what should still be viewed as an incredible season for the Sixers?
Sadly, Butler is most likely the only one who truly knows what it means, and until fans receive some sort of clarification, it’s only going to result in continued speculation.
Dating back to last season, Philadelphia had been desperately been in search of adding a third superstar to the mix, and watching Butler end up on a different team for next season would mean the team is taking a step back.
Hopefully, Butler realizes the potential surrounding the Sixers moving forward, and the two sides can figure out a way to work something out this offseason to make both parties happy.
But until anything officially happens, fans from the City of Brotherly Love are only going to continue to worry about the possibility of losing Butler in free agency, and that Instagram post certainly didn’t help.