The Jimmy Butler trade saga grinds on for the Miami Heat, with one suitor hot on the trail.
NBA insider Marc Stein reported on the Phoenix Suns' interest in Butler and said, "I've heard they want him bad." The problem for Phoenix is the considerable obstacles that stand between them and a deal for Butler.
In order to land the 35-year-old from the Heat, the Suns would have to move Bradley Beal's onerous contract. Beal is in the third season of a five-year, $251 million deal and his play has fallen off a cliff. He owns one of the NBA's worst contracts at the moment. He also has a no-trade clause.
Miami won't take Beal's deal back in a trade, so the two teams would need to find a third partner willing to take that contract for any move to work.
For Butler, joining Kevin Durant and Devin Booker in Phoenix would undoubtedly be attractive, but at this point a deal looks unrealistic. That said, a lot can change as the trade deadline approaches.
Butler is making $48.8 million this season and holds a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 campaign. His preference would be a trade to a new team and a multi-year extension. The Heat have balked at giving him that.
The Suns are the team pursuing Butler the hardest, but making a deal work with the Heat will be incredibly difficult.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Suns Want Jimmy Butler ‘Bad,’ But Here’s Why Trade Won’t Be Easy.
