KEY POINTS

  • Jimmy Butler was picked 30th in 2011 NBA Draft.
  • He is receiving $32.7 million this season
  • Butler has no signature shoe deal at the moment

Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat’s highest paid player this season with a $33 million salary, only earned $800,000 in 2011.

Butler was drafted by the Chicago Bulls for their 30th pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. This probably explains why he only received an $800,000 deal for his rookie year, a report from Spotrac revealed.

It is safe to say the former Marquette University standout did not impress scouts enough to give him high ratings at the time. Early reports about him claim he was a smooth scorer and has a potential to become a good defender, but it seemed he did not have the quickness required from guards in the league. At best, Butler was projected to become a role player and no one knew he would become the franchise player that he is today. He blossomed in the system of head coach Tom Thibodeau and was voted All-Star thrice as a Bull.

Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler could potentially play alongside James Harden and Chris Paul if the Minnesota Timberwolves accept the offer from the Houston Rockets. In this picture, Butler of the Timberwolves runs onto the court during player introductions before the game against the Cleveland Cavaliers at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Oct. 19, 2018. Hannah Foslien/Getty Images

At Chicago, Butler had to play alongside Derrick Rose who would become the league’s youngest MVP in 2011. When Rose’s career was hampered with injuries, Butler stepped up and became one of the leaders of the team. Eventually, in 2016, Rose was shipped to New York Knicks, which meant the Bulls became Butler’s team then. According to Celebrity Net Worth, each year in his first three years in the league, he increased his points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks production for the Bulls.

After eight years in the NBA, the shooting guard is now the highest paid player in the Miami Heat roster for the 2019-2020 season. His net worth is currently estimated at $25 million. He was traded in the offseason by the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami offered a 4-year, $141 million contract, all of which are guaranteed. By the 2022-2023 season, the 2-way player is set to receive a $37.6 million salary, the largest paycheck of his career.

As a Heat player, he sits atop the money rankings followed by fellow veterans Goran Dragic and Andre Iguodala with $19 million and $17 million salaries, respectively.

Butler has not signed any shoe deal, with his last contract with Jordan brand ended in January 2020. If the Heat goes on to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks in their Eastern Conference semifinal series, expect a signature shoe line and a lot of sponsorship deals for Butler. Puma and Chinese brand Li-Ning were rumored to offer Butler a shoe deal, per Sun Sentinel.

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