Shams: Suns vs. Warriors is 'The Jimmy Butler Bowl' amid NBA Trade Rumors

Shams: Suns vs. Warriors is ‘The Jimmy Butler Bowl’ amid NBA Trade Rumors

Posted by author January 31, 2025 NBA

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The Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors’ Friday night game at Chase Center is being described as “the Jimmy Butler Bowl” by ESPN’s Shams Charania.

Charania said Friday on the Pat McAfee Show that the Suns and Warriors are “shaping up to be likely landing spots” for the Miami Heat star.

“Miami and Jimmy Butler, they have the same goal right now, between now and next Thursday, and that’s finding a trade for Butler out of Miami,” Charania said. “They are in active conversations.

“Tonight actually on ESPN, I would call it ‘The Jimmy Butler Bowl.’ I know we got the Super Bowl next weekend, but this might be ‘The Jimmy Butler Bowl’ tonight between the Warriors and the Suns.”

Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShow

“The Miami Heat and Jimmy Butler have the same goal right now..
They’re looking to find a trade to get him out of Miami before the trade deadline..
The Warriors and Suns are two of the teams that I believe are likely landing spots for Jimmy Butler” @ShamsCharania #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/OSEAsUJV8A

The Warriors we know all season they’ve been trying to get a star player to go with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. And now when you think about Jimmy Butler and the motivation that Miami has, I think a lot of people are looking at the Warriors right now in a potential situation. Do you strike right now with him?

And we know Phoenix, we’ve been talking about Phoenix the last month and a half, two months regarding Jimmy Butler. That pursuit remained strong. It might be a deal that that takes three, four or five teams, but the Suns are trying every avenue to potentially get a deal done.

He has been suspended indefinitely. I think, you know, Miami has done a little bit to kind of poke him, you know, to an extent. You think about it, he comes back to the team after a two-game suspension, shows up to their shootaround earlier this week and basically Erik Spoelstra, from what I’m told, in front of the entire team, tells Jimmy Butler, tells the rest of roster that Jimmy Butler will be coming off the bench moving forward for the Heat and Haywood Highsmith will be their starter. And from that point on Jimmy Butler, I’m told, just exited stage right, stage left, whatever you want to call it, he left the shootaround and that might be the last time Jimmy Butler is going to be around the Heat.

But Miami wants shorter term contracts. They want draft assets, and we’ll see if they’re going to be satisfied with that between now and Thursday.”

Butler has played just five games in January amid three separate suspensions by the Heat, the most recent of which was announced Jan. 27 after the team said he walked out of practice.

Tim Reynolds of the Associated Press originally reported that Butler left a shootaround after being told he had been bumped out of the Heat’s starting lineup.

This most recent suspension, which the Heat described as indefinite and without pay, put even more pressure on Miami to find a landing spot for Butler ahead of the Feb. 6 deadline.

But finding that trade partner has been complicated by Butler’s contract, which carries a $48.8 million cap hit this season and a $52.4 million player option for 2025-26.

The Suns have reportedly been interested in acquiring Butler, but adding him to the roster would likely require moving Bradley Beal despite Beal’s no-trade clause.

The Warriors would meanwhile have to part with multiple players to match Butler’s salary, likely including Andrew Wiggins and at least two other roster players.

Either one of these deals could involve at least one other team, if not multiple additional teams, in order to move the required amount of salary. SNY’s Ian Begley previously reported the Minnesota Timberwolves could get involved by moving Julius Randle as part of the deal.

For now, the Suns and Warriors will focus on tonight’s contest as both teams fight to stay in the Western Conference play-in picture. Tipoff is set for 10 p.m. ET.