Source: Sun Sentinel / Getty
Well, any hope of a Jimmy Butler-Joel Embiid reunion in South Beach is pretty much over at this point! Butler’s Miami Heat teammate, P.J. Tucker, opted out of his $7.4 million player option and thanked South Beach for the memories via Instagram on Wednesday.
However, it was the fact that Tucker was heading to their Eastern Conference rivals, the Philadelphia 76ers, which really left Butler upset. “f–ck you and @joelembiid yeah I brought him into this (shrug shoulders emoji),” Butler commented on Tucker’s post.
Butler is known for his sarcasm, though, so any jabs at Tucker and Embiid are likely very tongue-in-cheek. In fact, he and Embiid enjoyed playing alongside each other during Butler’s time in Philly. And according to Butler, he and the Sixers big man still keep in touch.
“I talk to Joel every day,” Butler told reporters after a playoff win against the Sixers in Game 5 of this year’s semifinals. “Even before this series. That’s my guy. That’s a brother to me. We know that. It’s a privilege to play against him.”
And even when the Heat bounced the Sixers out of championship contention, Embiid expressed that the feeling was mutual at a postgame conference. “That’s my brother,” the 2022 NBA MVP candidate said of Butler. “It’s tough, but I’m so proud of him. He’s playing at an unreal level right now. He’s something else right now, and I’m proud of him for being at this level and carrying them, and what he’s been able to do.”
