Issac Baldizon/NBAE via Getty Images
The Miami Heat reportedly could have willing trade partners in a potential deal that would move disgruntled star Jimmy Butler out of South Beach.
According to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, sources indicated that “a complicated three-team deal” featuring Phoenix Suns guard Bradley Beal and involvement from the Milwaukee Bucks “no longer seems impossible.”
Goodwill noted that such a deal would require Beal to waive his no-trade clause, and he added that it could end up being a straight-up trade between the Heat and Suns rather than a three-team deal. He also stated that there are “whispers” of the Washington Wizards and Toronto Raptors getting involved in the deal, but “it seems the momentum is geared toward this getting done soon, perhaps in the next few days.”
Phoenix appeared to position itself for a potential trade for Butler when it acquired three first-round picks from the Utah Jazz in exchange for their 2031 first-round pick on Tuesday. ESPN’s Shams Charania noted that the Suns are among Butler’s preferred trade destinations.
Now equipped with more assets to move, Phoenix could turn Butler’s wish into a reality. The 35-year-old has made no attempts to hide his unhappiness with the Heat, and it’s been reflecting in his play.
Butler is averaging just 17.0 points across his 25 appearances this season, his lowest mark since his third year in the NBA in 2013-14. After serving a seven-game suspension from the Heat earlier this month, he’s played in just five games in January and failed to reach double digits three times.
A change in scenery would surely help shift Butler’s attitude and motivate him to return to his usual level of performance, but time is winding down before the Feb. 6 trade deadline arrives.
Feb 13, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Mark Cuban laughs during the second half of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat at American Airlines
The Boston Celtics are one of the teams who are expected to be a contender at the end of the season. They are the defending NBA champions, so they feel like the
Nikola Jokić is still rewriting the record books — and treating it like just another day at the office. In a 149-141 overtime win over the Phoenix Suns
The New York Knicks are one of the best teams in the NBA, but as of late, they have been defined more by their struggles than their triumphs.The Knicks are 0-7