The Phoenix Suns have seen varying degrees of success through 23 games of the 2024-25 NBA season, due in large part to their most impactful stars missing considerable time on the court.
After an impressive 9-2 record through 11 contests and early-season MVP candidacy for Phoenix’s former league MVP Kevin Durant, the team began to come back down to Earth after Durant’s subsequent calf and ankle injuries.
Now sitting at 12-11 and holding sole possession of the No. 10 seed in a loaded Western Conference, it’s been heavily rumored that Phoenix may enter trade discussions to potentially land a star.
With recent developments regarding his impending unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2025, the Miami Heat’s six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler has looked to be a possible fit with the superstar core of Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
Butler is averaging 19.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 steals paired with a career-best 58.1% effective field goal percentage for Miami this season, sparking plenty of interest from contending teams.
On a one-year rental, it’s plausible that Butler could contribute to a star-studded roster with a championship victory being the franchise’s only goal. Butler’s reported status on the trade market has led to plenty of discussion surrounding his preferred destinations, with Phoenix being one of the top suitors named.
Soon after reports were released, individuals close to the situation, like Butler’s agent Bernie Lee, refuted any claims of Butler’s availability. Specifically, Lee called out ESPN’s Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania for spreading alleged false information.
After Lee’s response, most had assumed that trade discussions surrounding Butler-to-Phoenix had been dismantled. Instead, Charania stood by his information and sources during a recent appearance on ESPN’s NBA Countdown show, as shared by Forbes’ Evan Sidery via Twitter/X.
“Another team that Butler’s agent Bernie Lee has indicated recently, that Butler is open to the Phoenix Suns, sources told me today,” Charania shared Wednesday night.
“And you think about what Jimmy Butler wants. A win-now, contending situation. There’s been no other win-now team more than these Phoenix Suns.”
“You think about their salary cap bill, what they’ve done with Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal going all-in. So, keep a very close eye on the Phoenix Suns.”
While salary in the form of Beal would likely have to be shipped out to Miami to complete the deal financially, the arrival of Butler in Phoenix would supply one of the league’s best perimeter defenders to a team with a lackluster No. 20 ranked defensive rating of 114.4.
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