Trade talks that would send disgruntled Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors have ended after it was made clear he wouldn’t sign an extension, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported on Sunday.
And that means it might be the Phoenix Suns or bust for Butler, according to ESPN colleague Shams Charania, who appeared on Sunday’s late edition of SportsCenter.
“Around the league, it’s become increasingly clear that where he would want to be long term and stay long term and commit long term, that’s the Phoenix Suns from everything I’m told,” Charania said, noting Golden State and Phoenix had the most trade talks with Miami lately.
The Suns-or-bust approach is not one-sided, either, Charnia added.
“Phoenix, going into this trade deadline week, they are fully focused on figuring out a three-, four-, five-team trade that lands them Jimmy Butler,” the reporter said. “That’s something they’re focused on, they’re motivated every single day in that Suns front office is, ‘How can we get Jimmy Butler and put him in the lineup with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker?’”
Tim Reynolds of The Associated Press added that “there are talks involving Jimmy Butler that are ongoing” into Sunday evening and there are “tons of moving parts.”
“(Butler’s) No. 1 goal is to be traded. His actions will be aimed at getting himself traded preferably to the Phoenix Suns, period,” Windhorst said on ESPN the week prior.
Miami had reportedly lowered its asking price for Butler, which brought Golden State into the picture.
Suns guard Bradley Beal continues to be a potential deal’s biggest roadblock, as he has one of the NBA’s two no-trade clauses (LeBron James) with $110 million still to be paid over the two years following this season.
The Heat have also not been particularly interested in Beal despite their willingness to take players with future money on their contracts, Windhorst reported on Friday.
Last week, the Heat suspended Jimmy Butler a third time after he walked out of shootaround Monday when informed he would come off the bench behind Haywood Highsmith, according to Charania.
“The Miami HEAT are suspending Jimmy Butler without pay effective immediately for an indefinite period to last no fewer than five games,” the team said in a statement.
“The suspension is due to a continued pattern of disregard of team rules, engaging in conduct detrimental to the team and intentionally withholding services. This includes walking out of practice earlier today.”
What have the Phoenix Suns said around the Jimmy Butler trade rumors?
Phoenix is 10-5 over its last 15 games since moving Beal to the bench after starting the season 15-18.
Beal’s agent, Mark Bartelstein, being the father of Suns CEO Josh Bartelstein has only added to the saga. That’s in addition to Butler and Heat president Pat Riley being at odds.
Kevin Durant and Mike Budenholzer, meanwhile, have insisted trade rumors circling the team have not been a distraction.
“We’re grown men, most of these guys have been in the league eight-plus years, nine-plus years. They understand the business man, it ain’t nothing new,” Durant said postgame on Wednesday. “It’s about doing your job and controlling what you can control every single day. … I want everybody on this team, I want everybody to feel comfortable with their role and their future and their contract, all of that stuff. I would love that for each one of us my teammates and myself.”
“We have a mostly veteran team that’s been through this and understands how the league works,” Budenholzer said. “I think the work and the focus everyday has been good. We’ve been playing good basketball … so I think the veteran presence on our team helps us during this time of year.”