Jimmy Butler Trade Rumors: Butler trade rumors pick up steam after Suns acquire more first-round picks

Jimmy Butler trade drama has picked up as his suspension ends. Let’s break down where things stand with Butler.

Jimmy Butler to Suns talk picking up steam

This is where the Jimmy Butler trade talk has gotten to: There was more talk online about Butler wearing Phoenix Suns’ colorway shoes than his lackluster play in a Heat loss to the tanking Portland Trail Blazers.

Momentum toward a Butler trade — specifically a trade to his preferred destination Phoenix — is picking up around the league, according to multiple reports. More than just smoke, there is this ember of a fire: Phoenix traded its 2031 first-round pick (unprotected) to Utah for three first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029. While the picks Utah sent out are likely in their 20s, this opens the door to Phoenix trading multiple picks in any deal it makes. (More on that trade below.)

Two things still stand in the way of this trade:

• Bradley Beal has a no-trade clause. This trade only works if Phoenix sends out Beal to make way for Butler, but Beal can veto any trade he doesn’t like thanks to the no-trade clause. Beal has not been approached (at least formally) about waiving that clause, reports The Athletic.

Other rumors suggest Beal would waive it for certain teams — Milwaukee is one of them, so are the Lakers, reports the well-connected John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 — but ultimately, the Heat and this mystery other team have to convince Beal this is good for him (some of those teams will want Beal to drop the no-trade clause entirely as part of any trade so they could flip him again next summer, but Beal would be crazy to give up that power).

• Finding Beal a new home. Miami does not want him. There are a lot of teams who don’t want to get into the Beal business, taking on a 31-year-old who is owed $110 million for the next two seasons, who has seen a decline in his game this year (17.1 points a game, shooting 38.6% from 3, pretty much league-average efficiency across the board), and recently got benched for a rookie. Some teams believe they could help Beal get his groove back as a more central playmaker in an offense (he was the third wheel in Phoenix behind Kevin Durant and Devin Booker and never seemed to fit).

Any team that takes Beal on will want sweeteners, which is where all those new Suns first-round picks come into play. Phoenix will have to find someone to take on that contract.

Phoenix trades for more first-rounders

This is a classic version of a trade setting up another trade.

Phoenix traded away its very valuable unprotected 2031 first-round pick for three first-rounders from the Utah Jazz:

• 2025: least favorable of Cleveland or Minnesota

• 2027 least favorable of Cleveland, Minnesota or Utah

• 2029 least favorable of Cleveland, Minnesota or Utah

For Phoenix, this is all about flexibility. It opens the door to them trading Beal or center Jusuf Nurkic — in both cases the Suns will need to attach first-round picks as sweeteners and this gives them picks to trade. With these three picks, the Suns can dodge the NBA’s Stepien Rule and trade any of their next six first-round picks (just not in consecutive years). The challenge will be that all three of these picks are very likely in the 20s (the 2025 pick will unquestionably be Cleveland’s and likely 29 or 30) and while Phoenix can now trade their own picks as well those are encumbered by swaps. None of these are likely to be high picks, but there are plenty of them to move now.

Utah is playing the long game here, betting against the Suns. The Jazz see a higher upside in the potential of that 2031 pick — after Durant and others are likely gone from Phoenix — than in holding onto three picks likely in the 20s.

Jimmy Butler back with Heat, playing games

Jimmy Butler was reportedly heard using Marshawn Lynch’s “I’m just here so I won’t get fined” comment, which is likely true, but he is back with the Miami Heat and playing in games. While things are awkward and uncomfortable — he’s not exactly engaging with teammates or coach Erik Spoelstra — there has been no drama. Yet.

Butler played 33 minutes in a loss to the Nuggets and scored 18 points in his return, then followed it up with almost 28 minutes in the Heat’s blowout win over the Spurs on Sunday, when he had eight points and seven assists. He had a lackluster game Tuesday night, scoring 13 points with eight assists, but coasted through a Heat loss to the tanking Timberwolves (a game that showed how much the Heat miss Tyler Herro).

Miami has a nationally televised game Thursday on TNT against the Bucks, although the biggest drama that night is likely what Barkley and Shaq say about Butler more than what happens on the court.

Butler tells Riley, Arison face-to-face: Trade me

Jimmy Butler has made it clear to anyone who will listen: He doesn’t want to play in Miami any longer, he wants to be traded — and before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. If not, he will use his $52.4 million player option next season to leave Miami, he will not re-sign with the Heat.

None of that is new, but Butler reiterated in two face-to-face meetings last week, one with Miami Heat president Pat Riley (Shams Charania of ESPN had the report) and one with Heat owner Micky Arison. Butler is not backing down from his position.

News of these meetings leaked as part of a PR push by Butler’s backers to suggest that the Heat were not aggressive enough in finding a trade. Maybe this strategy worked because talks have heated up. So, we wait to see if it is enough.

Butler not the easiest teammate to deal with

Think about how bad things have gotten that Butler’s teammates in Miami that one would tell ESPN, “We don’t want him back.” If you ever wonder why Butler’s trade market is so small, start with that in mind.

Last week, Butler’s confidants pushed the idea that the Heat were not being aggressive enough, but Miami knows how to play the public relations game, too, so it’s not a coincidence that “Jimmy Butler is a diva” leaks are increased as everything dragged out.

Diva as in during the NBA Finals in 2023 he stayed on his own in a mansion 30 miles away in Boulder rather than a hotel in downtown Dever like the rest of the team. Diva as in occasionally skipping out on morning shootarounds, insisting on private flights separate from Miami’s team charter, and enough other stuff that former Miami player Tim Hardaway Sr. told Sirius XM NBA Radio that Pat Riley sent a 10-page letter to the players’ association detailing Butler’s issues, reports Marc Stein in his newsletter.

Again, this is not new news around the league and part of the reason teams are hesitant to get into the Butler business.

Could Butler be with Heat until summer?

Momentum is building toward a Jimmy Butler trade out of Miami, but there are still skeptics around the league about its likelihood. Most league sources NBC Sports has spoken with in recent weeks think Butler will remain with the Heat past the Feb. 6 trade deadline and into the summer, something executives echoed to Steve Bulpett at Heavy Sports.

“I don’t know how this gets worked out,” one league source told Heavy Sports. “And I only know of a few teams that want to come anywhere near this.”

“It’s more difficult than people think,” said one team’s head of basketball operations. “First of all, Jimmy’s 35 and doesn’t have much value. And then the team that would like him the most is probably Phoenix, because they’re so bad and they have the worst contract in (Bradley) Beal. Other than that, I don’t know of any teams that would want to take on Jimmy Butler, other than teams that just want to dump contracts — and Miami won’t go for that. I just don’t know how it’s going to work.

Butler’s next contract has always been the crux of this story — this is about money, not the joy of basketball. Butler didn’t get paid by Pat Riley last summer — he wanted a two-year extension north of $100 million — and now he is looking for it elsewhere. Phoenix is the only team that would come close to that (keep reading), but arranging a Butler-to-Phoenix trade has proven more than challenging.

What do Heat want in Butler trade?

This is not a fire sale. Miami’s two primary goals for any trade are acquiring win-now players who can help them this season and next (not just picks and young players) and taking back as little long-term money as possible. If Miami makes a deal, it wants the flexibility to rebuild around Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro without being anchored down by another long-term big contract.

The challenge is Butler is making $48.8 million this season with a player option for $52.4 million next season — and the 35-year-old wants an extension (he could have that tacked on at the end of this contract taking him to age 38, or he could opt out of next season’s contract and sign for two years at whatever number, he wants more than $100 million, taking him to his age 37 season).

To trade for Butler means either teams have to send another expensive player back to Miami, or a team will have to trade four or five players to make it work. If a trade happens, it likely ends up a three- or four-team trade. Which are incredibly challenging to put together (both financially and in making everybody happy).

Top Butler destinations

This is pretty much a one-team list.

Phoenix Suns

As noted above, momentum is picking up around a potential Butler trade to Phoenix, but that doesn’t mean it will happen.

Phoenix wants Butler “bad,” and there are good basketball reasons for Butler to want to go to the Suns. Teaming up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker is a no-brainer. Plus, the Suns lack a certain level of toughness, this is not a team with a lot of dog in it, and Butler would bring that. If Butler were to land in Phoenix, it wouldn’t make them an automatic contender, but it might get them to the level of a team like Memphis (third in the West), which gives them a puncher’s chance in the playoffs. That’s more of a chance than they have right now.

To be clear, Butler mostly wants to get to Phoenix because its owner, Mat Ishbia, has suggested he would give Butler the kind of extension he seeks.

The problem continues to be making this trade work. As noted above, Beal has a no-trade clause and can veto any trade. Miami doesn’t want him. That means bringing in at least a third team (maybe four or five) into a more complex trade that gets Beal to a desired destination, and that team is going to want first-round picks as sweeteners. Throw in the complexities of the luxury tax aprons and their trade restrictions — Phoenix cannot bring in $1 more than it sends out and cannot aggregate salaries to send out, Miami can’t take on additional money either — and this becomes very difficult to pull off. Which is why there are many skeptics in league circles, as mentioned above, who expect Butler to be with the Heat after the trade deadline.

Milwaukee more interested in Beal than Butler

Despite earlier reports, the Milwaukee Bucks were not told to avoid chasing Jimmy Butler and are reportedly open to the idea.

That doesn’t mean they are going to. Milwaukee is more likely to chase Bradley Beal — the 31-year-old playing okay basketball in Phoenix with two years and $110 million remaining on his contract after this season — instead of Butler, according to Marc Stein. That tells you all you need to know about Butler’s market.

It would be very difficult for Milwaukee to be a serious bidder for either player — the Bucks are over the second luxury tax apron and face a host of restrictions on any trade (they can’t take back $1 more than they send out, they can’t aggregate players, and more).

However, the Bucks could be facilitators to help get a deal done, what Milwaukee would want out of the trade is to lower its tax bill and get below the second apron (which means moving on from Pat Connaughton and his $9.4 million). It’s something worth watching.

Toronto open to helping facilitate trade

If you’re looking for a third team in any potential Jimmy Butler trade, consider Toronto.

The Raptors don’t want to land Butler (they couldn’t re-sign him and he’s redundant with the talent they like on their roster anyway), but they are willing to take on a “bad” contract for a year if it comes with enough draft picks to make it worthwhile, reports Doug Smith at the Toronto Star. This shouldn’t be a shock, Masai Ujiri has at his disposal some expiring contracts (Bruce Brown, Chris Boucher and Davion Mitchell) of various sizes that could see the player moved to facilitate the right deal.

Toronto is also checking the market to trade those three players outright.

Golden State Warriors not interested

Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Steve Kerr all came out this week and said some variation of this Green quote:

“The beautiful part about being in the space that we’re in is, Steve Kerr, Steph Curry and myself all disagree with mortgaging off the future of this organization, saying that we’re going for it right now, Bad teams do that. Bad organizations do that. We’re not neither one.”

The best way to interpret that: Don’t trade for Jimmy Butler (or Zach LaVine). The trio is right, the Warriors are not a team that is one player away and unless there is a top 5-10 player in the league who is under 30 on the market (there is not), then don’t blow things up.

Warriors management was already on the same page, quietly saying there were three reasons they didn’t want to get into the Jimmy Butler business: Butler’s age (35), his injury history, and price tag (the Warriors would have to send out either Draymond Green or Andrew Wiggins, plus Jonathan Kuminga and at least two more players, then have to pay Butler next summer with a massive new contract).

What the Warriors are thinking echoes what a lot of teams are thinking.

What happened between Jimmy Butler and Pat Riley?

This entire saga is all about the money. Don’t pretend it’s about anything else.

Things fell apart between Butler and the Heat when Butler wanted to discuss a contract extension after last season, ideally with him opting out of his $52.4 million for next season to get two years, $112.6 million. Pat Riley emphatically shot that down when talking after last season.

“That’s a big decision on our part to commit those kinds of resources unless you have somebody who’s going to be there and available every single night. That’s the truth,” Riley said. Butler played 60 games last season and was out for the team’s playoff series against the Celtics.

Butler told the Washington Post this week he still believes he’s in his prime.

It’s that simple: Butler wants to be paid, but the Heat don’t want to do it, so Butler wants a trade to a place he thinks he will get paid.