The Phoenix Suns are among the teams that Jimmy Butler has indicated in NBA circles that the 14-year veteran is open to as a destination as the Miami Heat listen to trade offers, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Heat Trade Rumors: Jimmy Butler Prefers The Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, Or Phoenix Suns
Per Butler’s agent, Butler Lee, the Heat are open to dealing Butler “if the trade proposal is right,” and Lee said recently that Butler is open to the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors, or Suns.
Phoenix is a second apron team and cannot combine salaries in any trade. According to Spotrac, 68% of their salary is comprised of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal.
Most importantly, Beal has a no-trade clause. Phoenix-based insider John Gambadoro revealed during the “Burns and Gambo Show” that Beal would consider waiving his no-trade clause.
The Phoenix Suns are another team that Jimmy Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, has indicated in league circles that the six-time All-Star is open to as a destination while Miami listens to trade offers, sources tell ESPN, joining Dallas, Houston and Golden State. pic.twitter.com/QCXA2uEMXt
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) December 11, 2024
Durant leads the Suns’ active roster cap with a $51.17 million salary. Beal has a cap hit of $50.2 million this season as well, followed by Booker, who is making $49.2 million this campaign.
A potential trade seems intriguing on paper, but Miami is among the first-apron teams. This means at least a three-team trade would be necessary for the Suns to acquire Butler.
Three or more team trades involving second-apron teams and first-apron teams are possible if the third team is not an apron team and willing to take on players’ salaries.
Rockets, Mavericks Are Top-4 Teams In The Western Conference
Butler reportedly prefers a win-now contender. In the Western Conference standings, the Rockets (16-8) and Mavs (16-9) are third and fourth, respectively, while the Warriors (14-9) sit fifth and Suns (12-11) rank 10th overall.
The six-time All-Star said Wednesday he doesn’t mind his name being mentioned in the rumor mill. That’s to be expected. After all, Miami is 8-2 this season when the 35-year-old scores at least 18 points.
“I actually like it,” said Butler, who is currently eighth in player efficiency rating (23.9) and fourth in offensive rating (137.2). “It’s good to be talked about. I don’t think there’s such a thing as bad publicity — to a point.”
Through 17 games (all starts) this season, Butler is averaging 19 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.2 steals, and 32.1 minutes per contest while shooting a career-best 55.7% from the field, 36% from 3-point range, and 78.7% at the foul line.
His teams have made the playoffs in 12 of his first 13 seasons, including the five previous seasons in Miami. Butler has also led the Heat to two NBA Finals and one additional Eastern Conference finals appearance.
Money Is Not A Concern For Jimmy Butler?
Butler has $49 million on his contract with the Heat for this season. This is part of the three-year, $146.4 million contract he signed in August 2021. His deal also includes a $52 million player option for 2025-26.
The two sides failed to reach an extension last summer.
However, Butler said Wednesday that money doesn’t really matter to him at this stage of his career, emphasizing that he’s not focused on extensions or trades at the moment.
“My kids matter, my happiness matters, my well-being matters and my family matters,” Butler said. “Right now, it’s all about competing, staying healthy, playing some great basketball. I think I’ve done that so far, so we’ll see what we got.”
When asked about his future with the Heat, he almost told reporters that he wanted to remain in Miami.
“I’m pretty sure y’all are going to get a report that’s going to say otherwise anyways, so there’s no sense in me answering that question,” he added.
