76ers fans need to relax over Jimmy Butler rumors regarding Lakers

There’s no reason for Philadelphia 76ers fans to be freaking out over Jimmy Butler leaving in free agency just yet, even with the the rumors surrounding the Los Angeles Lakers.

After suffering a tough Game 7 loss in the semifinals to the Toronto Raptors, the attention for Philadelphia 76ers fans quickly shifted to what the future holds for Jimmy Butler in the City of Brotherly Love.

With Butler hoping to land a max deal at some point this summer, there is no guarantee the star forward will be back with the Sixers since the organization knows that is a ton of money to spend, and they have other players to focus on as well.

From Ben Simmons needing a new deal at some point to other key decisions for free agency such as Tobias Harris and J.J. Redick, it’s easy to see why Philadelphia may not be jumping the gun over a potential max contract for Butler.

Of course, after looking at the role Butler played most of the season along with the playoffs in helping the Sixers on both offense and defense, it’s safe to assume there’s nothing they would love more than to figure out a way to bring him back for the long run.

Around this time last year, Philadelphia was hoping to land a third superstar to play alongside Simmons and Joel Embiid since that seemed like the only way to compete with the top teams in the Eastern Conference, which turned out to be exactly the case.

Words can’t even describe how heartbreaking it was to watch the Sixers come up short the way they did against the Raptors since the argument can be made they would have given the Milwaukee Bucks a run for their money, but at least there’s hope for the future.

Then again, Philadelphia most likely realizes the importance of bringing Butler back if this is going to happen, and while it may be tough to hear some of the recent rumors surrounding the forward possibly joining the Los Angeles Lakers, there’s no reason to panic just yet.

Just because reports have come out this week about LeBron James reaching out to Butler and Kawhi Leonard doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to happen.

For starters, there’s no way to even confirm these rumors are even true since the thought of James being in contact with Leonard while he’s in the middle of a playoff run with the Raptors sounds ridiculous to even think about.

Would Butler consider the possibility of joining Los Angeles if the team ended up expressing interest?

Whether Sixers fans want to hear it or not, the answer to that is most likely yes since the Lakers have a history of being one of the top franchises in all of sports, and it’s tough to decline an opportunity to enjoy California weather year round.

However, Butler has already made it clear that when the time comes, he’s going to do what’s best for him and his family, meaning there’s no reason to rule out a potential return to Philadelphia just yet.

Nothing against James and the Lakers, but if the decision did come down to the two teams, hopefully Butler would realize the Sixers are the better long-term option since this young squad seems to only be scratching the surface of their true potential.

For now, all Sixers fans can do is try to block out these rumors surrounding Butler possibly joining the Lakers since it’s still way too early in the offseason to even be worrying about this.

Otherwise, it’s going to be an even more stressful offseason in Philadelphia than it already was since the Sixers already have to deal with the thought of wondering what could have been in the playoffs if it wasn’t for that ridiculous shot by Leonard in Game 7.