Jimmy Butler in The Valley?
As the NBA season heats up, so are various trade rumors around some of the league’s biggest stars. Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler has been at the top of that list, with numerous teams linked to the two-way veteran star over the last few weeks. On Wednesday, the Phoenix Suns entered the race.
The Suns are another team that Butler would be open to playing for if a trade were to go down at some point this season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
“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,” Charania reported on X, formerly Twitter.
Assuming the Suns are unwilling to give up wither Devin Booker or Kevin Durant in any potential trade, a Butler deal would have to include Bradley Beal, who would likely go to a third team. Promising rookie Ryan Dunn is also a valuable trade chip that the Suns could add into the deal and would give the Heat a young piece that can make an impact on both ends.
Butler’s numbers are down this season relative to what he is usually able to produce. He is averaging just 19 points per game to go with 5.4 rebounds and 4.8 assists in just over 32 minutes a night. he has also missed five games this season for the 12-10 Heat.
Butler’s scoring is down, but it has nothing to do with his efficiency. He is taking just 11.3 shots per game and still shooting almost 56% from the floor, so he’s filling it up when his number is called. Instead, the Heat have relied more on the emerging Tyler Herro, who leads the team with 24.2 points per game, to do a lot of the heavy lifting on the offensive end.
Combine that efficiency and clear willingness to take a back seat to other talented scorers, and you can see why the Suns would be interested in adding Butler to the roster alongside Booker and Durant. He is also still able to get it done on the defensive end the he’s fully engaged and could turn the Suns into a true title contender.
It should be noted that Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, vehemently denied Charania’s report on social media shortly after the news came out.