Jimmy Butler

Lakers Rumors: Trade Targets, LeBron, Davis, Bronny, Hachimura

December 17th, 2024 at 12:12pm CST by Luke Adams

The Lakers are expected to be one of the most active buyers on the trade market during the 2024/25 season, though it remains unclear how much of their available draft capital they’re willing to move and how significant a deal they’ll make, says Jovan Buha of The Athletic.

As Buha notes, the Lakers were also considered likely to buy last season, but ultimately stood pat at the February trade deadline, choosing not to surrender a first-round pick. However, there’s hope that Golden State’s deal for Dennis Schröder (which saw the Warriors give up three second-round picks and get one back) may be a signal that teams’ asking prices for useful role players will be more modest this time around.

The Lakers are believed to be in the market for three kinds of players, according to Buha: a “physical, defensive-minded” center, a three-and-D wing, and an athletic guard with some size who can defend at the point of attack. As Buha writes, players the Lakers have been linked to in the past, including Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas and Nets wings Cameron Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith, are among the targets who would make sense at this season’s deadline.

Jazz guard Collin Sexton and center Walker Kessler, Raptors swingman Bruce Brown, Trail Blazers forward Jerami Grant and center Robert Williams, and Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma are some of the other potential players of interest who have come up in Buha’s conversations with team and league sources. However, the Lakers aren’t expected to be in on former All-Stars like Jimmy Butler, Zach LaVine, and Brandon Ingram, Buha adds.

Here’s more on the Lakers and their approach to the trade deadline:

Unsurprisingly, the Lakers aren’t considering trading LeBron James and Anthony Davis and almost certainly wouldn’t do so unless they asked to be dealt, sources tell Buha. Other players unlikely to be moved include Austin Reaves, Max Christie, and Dalton Knecht, who are viewed as potential long-term pieces.
While Bronny James isn’t untouchable, he’s not expected to be included in a trade that doesn’t involve his father, sources tell The Athletic.
One or more of the Lakers’ four mid-sized contracts – D’Angelo Russell ($18.69MM cap hit), Rui Hachimura ($17MM), Gabe Vincent ($11MM), Jarred Vanderbilt ($10.71MM) – figures to be included in any deal of note this season. Of those players, Hachimura looks like the one the Lakers would least want to move, Buha writes, though the forward would probably also have the most trade value of the four. Russell hasn’t drawn significant interest from potential suitors during previous discussions, Vincent has dealt with injuries and has struggled offensively since joining the Lakers, and Vanderbilt has yet to make his season debut as he recovers from offseason surgeries on both feet.

Heat Notes: Bryant, Spoelstra, 14th Roster Spot, Butler

December 16th, 2024 at 2:51pm CST by Rory Maher

Head coach Erik Spoelstra cited “flexibility” as one reason why the Heat decided to trade big man Thomas Bryant to the Pacers for a 2031 second-round pick swap, writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. The parting sounds quite amicable, with Spoelstra praising Bryant for staying upbeat amid a challenging individual season — he wasn’t a regular part of Miami’s rotation.

“We’re all big fans of TB,” Spoelstra said. “And what you have in this profession is your reputation, your character, obviously your talent. But when you make an impression on everybody here and everybody feels the same way, that’s a win. He deserves the opportunity to play.

“These are always thought decisions, especially when you make ’em during the season. But I think this is one of the cases where it makes sense for both parties. And because he was such a pro, we worked with TB and his agent to make this happen.”

Here’s more from Miami:

After trading Bryant, the Heat have just 13 players on standard contracts (they had only been carrying 14 instead of the maximum 15 due tax concerns). As of Sunday, they have 14 days to fill the 14th spot — they’re expected to take the full two weeks to make that decision. Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald takes a look at the many implications of the open 14th roster spot, including the players who could be positively impacted.
The Heat are listening to trade offers for Jimmy Butler. He’s reportedly contemplating a future outside of Miami, with several reports indicating he plans to decline his player option for next season to hit free agency in the offseason. The Heat could trade Butler, but should they? Winderman considers that question in a subscriber-only story.
In case you missed it, we passed along more Heat notes yesterday, plus several notes and rumors involving Butler over the past few days.

Stein’s Latest: Schröder, Johnson, Pelicans, Lakers, Kings, Reed

December 15th, 2024 at 7:05pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Warriors acquired a valuable rotation piece in Dennis Schröder this weekend, but it’s possible he won’t last the season with his new team. Schröder can traded again this season and could be part of a package to get a star-level player before February’s trade deadline, according to Marc Stein in his latest Substack post.

Miami’s Jimmy Butler could be among the players targeted by the Warriors, whom many rival teams believe will make a splashier move this season. Stein notes the Warriors aggressively pursued Lauri Markkanen and Paul George during the offseason.

The timing of the Warriors’ trade for Schröder was significant. The latest CBA instituted a new exception that allowed players who are traded by Dec. 16th to be aggregated in another deal before the trade deadline.

Golden State had interest in trading for Nets’ forward Cameron Johnson as well as Schröder but would likely have needed to include Jonathan Kuminga in a deal for both players, Stein suggests.

Here’s more from Stein:

The Pelicans aren’t inclined to trade young pieces Herbert Jones, Yves Missi and Trey Murphy but they are open to trade inquiries for virtually anyone else on the roster.
The Lakers aren’t looking to make a blockbuster move but they’d like to add depth and are expected to make at least one trade.
The Kings are dangling the contracts of Kevin Huerter and Trey Lyles in order to upgrade the roster.
The Sixers have some interest in a reunion with Paul Reed, who waived by the Pistons on Saturday. However, it’s unlikely they’d attempt to add him prior to the trade deadline in order to maximize their roster and cap flexibility. Reed was waived by Philadelphia during the offseason.

Heat Notes: Butler, Jovic, Bryant, Richardson, Larsson

December 15th, 2024 at 4:11pm CST by Alex Kirschenbaum

Although the Heat are reportedly open to trade offers for six-time All-Star swingman Jimmy Butler ahead of the February 6 deadline, The Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson (Twitter link) argues that pushing any decision on a move to the offseason could be the best way for the club to extract maximum value.

Butler, 35, has a $52.4MM player option for 2025/26 with Miami. Even in his 14th season and with plenty of playoff mileage, the 6’7″ forward is still a lethal player on both ends of the hardwood. He has helped lead Miami to a 13-10 record on the season.

Through 18 healthy contests, the five-time All-NBA honoree is averaging 18.6 points per game on .550/.360/.778 shooting splits, along with 5.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.2 steals per contest. If he can avoid major injury, Butler figures to remain firmly in the All-Star and All-NBA conversation this season, regardless of which team is paying him.

There’s more out of Miami:

Just after being reinserted into the Heat’s rotation, third-year Miami forward Nikola Jovic suffered a left ankle sprain in a Saturday team practice, reports Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald (Twitter link). It’s unclear how much time, if any, he is expected to miss. Through 15 games, including eight starts, the 6’10” big man is averaging 8.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.9 steals per night.
The Heat are expected to wait a full 14 days to add a 14th man to their roster following their trade of now-former reserve center Thomas Bryant to the Pacers, Chiang reports in another piece. Remaining below 14 players for the maximum allowable two weeks will save the team some tax money at season’s end. Chiang notes that Miami may opt to upgrade one of its two-way players to a standard roster spot, with guard Dru Smith being the likeliest contender.
Heat swingman Josh Richardson missed the club’s latest practice due to his lingering left heel injury, while guard Pelle Larsson did limited work on the side, reports Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (via Twitter). Larsson is recuperating from a sprained ankle, which has kept him on the shelf since December 4. Richardson, 31, has appeared in a scant eight contests for Miami this season. He hasn’t played since mid-November.

Trade Rumors: Butler, Heat, Warriors, Porter, Vucevic

December 14th, 2024 at 5:13pm CST by Rory Maher

Although they haven’t received anything approaching a “serious offer” yet, the Heat have indeed shown a willingness to listen to inquiries on Jimmy Butler for the first time in his six seasons in Miami, league sources tell David Aldridge of The Athletic.

The Heat are in the midst of a four-game winning streak, but are still just 13-10 thus far in 2024/25. Aldridge says the organization is “sober” about the state of the current roster, noting the team made the play-in tournament each of the past two seasons, including a surprise run to the NBA Finals in 2023 after advancing to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.

The two sides “seem destined” to part ways, according to Aldridge, who suggests Miami will likely prioritize a trade package centered around players rather than draft compensation, given the team’s “relentless” desire to contend for titles.

Aldridge says Butler’s preference would be to stay in Miami, but he wants a maximum-salary extension that Pat Riley has publicly said the team is in no rush to offer.

As Aldridge observes, in addition to listening to offers, the Heat are also likely trying to gauge what Butler’s free agent market could look like this summer, when he reportedly intends to decline his $52.4MM player option to hit free agency.

There are more trade rumors to pass along:

NBA insider Marc Stein offers a similar report in his latest Substack column (subscription required), citing a “rising belief leaguewide” that Miami has become willing to part with Butler before the trade deadline. The majority of teams that Stein contacted believe Butler has started considering potential locations where he’d like to be traded, but one executive cautions that the Heat won’t move him without getting “fair value” in return. Stein adds that Miami officials aren’t concerned about losing Butler in free agency this summer if he’s not traded because he’ll be facing a limited market. Only the Nets currently have enough projected cap room for a maximum-salary offer.
Of the four teams considered to be favorable landing spots for Butler, only the Warriors are viewed as having enough interest to engage in “substantive” trade discussions, league insiders tell Stein. The Rockets and Mavericks haven’t displayed any “tangible” interest in pursuing Butler, according to Stein, while the Suns would have to include Bradley Beal, who holds a no-trade clause that discouraged the Heat from trying to trade for him in the summer of 2023.
As he previously noted in a podcast appearance this week, Stein hears that the Nuggets want to shake up their roster, and it appears Michael Porter Jr. would have to be included in any major deal. Stein wonders how much of a return Denver could get for Porter considering the limited market for New Orleans forward Brandon Ingram, who’s a similar player with better stats.
The Bulls are hoping to land a first-round pick in exchange for center Nikola Vucevic, Stein adds. Vucevic has increased his production in coach Billy Donovan’s new up-tempo offense, but Stein warns that the Bulls might have to be willing to take any Vucevic talks all the way to deadline day if they’re holding out for a first-rounder.

Jimmy Butler Notes: Nuggets, Finances, Rockets, Lee

December 13th, 2024 at 7:58pm CST by Luke Adams

The Nuggets should be “burning up the phone lines” to acquire star forward Jimmy Butler from the Heat, argues Chris Mannix of SI.com.

Denver isn’t one of the four teams that was identified this week as a preferred landing spot for Butler in the event of a trade, but there would be nothing stopping the Heat from sending him there if the Nuggets make an offer they like. And Mannix suggests it’d be a worthwhile gamble for Denver, writing that Butler could help pull the team “out of the mud.”

“He’d probably fit pretty well because he can cut without the basketball and he’s a great passer,” a rival assistant coach told Mannix. “And then defensively when he wants to, he can be a big-time defender. The shooting, obviously, he doesn’t shoot the ball well, so that would be a little bit problematic at times, but I think could probably be a net positive in the short term.”

Mannix doesn’t specify what he thinks a Nuggets package for Butler might look like, but assuming Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Aaron Gordon are off the table, it would have to include Michael Porter Jr. and at least two other players. A third team would likely have to be incentivized to take on one of those contracts (possibly Zeke Nnaji or Dario Saric) and the Nuggets would need to sweeten the deal for the Heat by adding young talent, draft assets, or some combination of the two.

Here’s more on Butler:

Any trade the Heat make this season, whether or not it involves Butler, will have “one eye on the present and the other on the future,” especially when it comes to the team’s finances, sources tell Tim Bontemps of ESPN (Insider link). As Bontemps writes, the Heat project to be a taxpayer for the second straight season in 2024/25, meaning they’ll have to duck out of tax territory in at least one of the next two seasons in order to avoid facing repeater penalties, which are even more punitive under the new CBA.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also weighs in on Butler’s situation in the same article, pointing out that the forward’s $52MM+ player option for 2025/26 gives him some leverage as the Heat weigh possible trade opportunities — while he plans to decline it to become a free agent, Butler doesn’t have to finalize that decision until June 29.
It’s “highly unlikely” the Rockets will pursue Butler, team sources tell Sam Amick of The Athletic, who notes that Butler’s age (35) is an “undeniable factor in the calculus.” Houston isn’t looking to add a star player who is in his mid-to-late 30s, which is one important reason why the club didn’t pursue James Harden in free agency in 2023, Amick adds.
In a YouTube video, Bobby Marks of ESPN breaks down the Butler situation and confirms that his colleague Shams Charania’s report about Dallas, Houston, Golden State, and Phoenix being viewed as favorable destinations by Butler was accurate, despite agent Bernie Lee‘s claims to the contrary. “What Shams put out there…that was 100% accurate,” Marks said. “From all the people I’ve talked to and all the people he’s talked to, 100% accurate. So I have no idea why Bernie Lee would go on a rampage that night, but it is what it is.”
Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel (subscription required) takes a look at the “unique” relationship between Butler and Lee, who has made a habit of publicly advocating for his clients – especially on social media – rather than simply operating behind the scenes like many agents.
Ahead of the Heat’s victory over Toronto on Thursday – Miami’s fourth consecutive win – head coach Erik Spoelstra told reporters that he’s unfazed by the trade rumors surrounding his star player. “This is this profession,” Spoelstra said (Twitter link via Winderman). “You can’t get sick at sea over some narratives that are going out there. That’s going to happen in every organization at some point during a season.”

Gambo: Heat’s Butler “Absolutely Interested” In Suns

December 12th, 2024 at 10:32pm CST by Rory Maher

Confirming a report from Shams Charania of ESPN, plugged-in local reporter John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 says Heat star Jimmy Butler is indeed open to joining the Suns. In fact, Gambadoro took it a step further.

“I always take a little bit of time, make sure I get stories correct,” Gambadoro said on the Burns & Gambo show Thursday (story via Kevin Zimmerman of ArizonaSports.com). “Jimmy Butler is absolutely interested in coming to the Phoenix Suns.

“I would go as far as to say that I believe this will be his number one choice, is to play for the Phoenix Suns.”

However, as multiple outlets have pointed out, a direct deal between Miami and Phoenix seems extremely unlikely. According to Gambadoro (Twitter link), the rough framework of a trade would involve Bradley Beal and draft compensation. That would require Beal to waive his full no-trade clause, which is far from certain, and even if he does, his contract — he’s owed about $161MM through 2026/27 — would be “unappealing” to the Heat, per Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald (Twitter link).

Gambadoro hears the Suns would prefer to keep their lone tradable first-round pick (2031) out of any potential talks for Butler. Even if that were included, it’s difficult to envision any scenario in which Miami would be interested in that offer.

The Suns also aren’t actively pursuing Butler — according to Gambadoro, they plan to evaluate their roster over the next 10-to-15 games to see where they stand. If Phoenix performs well over that stretch, a run at Butler is even less likely.

As expected, Suns star Kevin Durant (left ankle sprain) is probable to return to action on Friday vs. Utah following a three-game absence, tweets Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports. Jusuf Nurkic is not listed on the injury report, which mean’s he’s expected to play after missing the past five games.

Gambadoro reports (Twitter links) that the the only way a deal might come together is if Butler tries to force his way to Phoenix, but there have been no signs that he plans to do so. There’s also no indication Miami would entertain the idea of trading him to the Suns over other offers, which would presumably be more appealing. That’s assuming the Heat even decide to trade him at all — they’ve won four straight.

Ever the troll, Butler put bright orange highlights in his braids ahead of Thursday’s victory over Toronto. Unsurprisingly, he said there was no particular reason for that decision, as Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald tweets.

Butler did say he enjoyed his agent Bernie Lee going after Charania for what Lee claimed was “made-up bulls–t.” Charania stood by his reporting.

“I love it. I am all for the back and forth,” Butler said, per Chiang (Twitter link). “I mean, before he’s my agent, I guess we’re like brothers now, we do everything together. But I feel for him and at least somebody is sticking up for me.”

Latest On Jimmy Butler

December 12th, 2024 at 11:11am CST by Luke Adams

After being called out by agent Bernie Lee, who accused him of publishing “made-up bulls–t” about his client Jimmy Butler, Shams Charania responded to Lee and doubled down on his reporting during a Thursday appearance on ESPN’s First Take (YouTube link).

“I one thousand percent stand by my reporting,” Charania said. “It’s fully vetted, and as a professional, that’s what I do. That’s what I get paid to do, that’s what I’m going to do: report truthfully and accurately. That’s what this is, period.”

Charania reported on Tuesday that Lee had made it clear in league circles that Butler would be open to destinations like the Rockets, Mavericks, and Warriors if the Heat decided to trade him. On Wednesday, Charania added the Suns to that list.

Reports from other outlets have since indicated that Dallas and Phoenix are extremely unlikely landing spots for Butler for cap/CBA and personnel reasons, and the Rockets have repeatedly expressed that they don’t intend to make an in-season trade that breaks up their current core. But Charania reiterated during his ESPN appearance on Thursday morning that those are the teams Butler’s camp has circled as favorable ones in the event of a deal.

“I one thousand percent stand by it,” Charania said. “It is one thousand percent facts.”

Charania stressed on Thursday that Butler hasn’t requested a trade, so while the Heat are open to listening to offers, that doesn’t necessarily mean the 35-year-old forward will be on the move during the season. In fact, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said during that same First Take segment that he thinks Butler would rather stay in Miami than be traded to any of those clubs mentioned by Charania.

“From what I understand, I think Jimmy Butler’s preference would be to sign an extension in Miami,” Windhorst said. “He had hoped to do that actually last summer, but (Heat president) Pat Riley came out at the end of last season and said that’s not what the Heat were doing, and they still haven’t made any progress on that. I think that’s what he would like to do. I think he would like to stay there.

“But as you talk to people around the league… most executives think if there’s any (big-name) player that could possibly get moved it would be Jimmy Butler,” Windhorst continued. “Because trade season opens basically on Sunday, I think that’s why you’re seeing interest pick up. The teams are going to start talking to each other and the players who want to get into comfortable situations with their contracts are going to start trying to leverage their position. So this is just the beginning of what I think will be a lot of what you hear about Jimmy Butler in the coming days and weeks.”

Here are a few more Butler-related items:

Kevin O’Connor of Yahoo Sports breaks down the likelihood of a Butler trade to one of the four teams reported by Charania, concluding that the Warriors make the most sense of the possible trade partners in that group. However, O’Connor notes that the Heat could easily hang onto Butler through the trade deadline or expand their scope to other would-be suitors. Of all the hypothetical landing spots O’Connor explores, he views the Nuggets as the most logical fit, though there has been no indication Denver is interested.
Keith Smith of Spotrac explores possible Butler trade scenarios from a salary cap and CBA perspective, explaining why it would be difficult – but not impossible – for the Heat to make a deal with most teams.
In case you missed it, we wrote earlier today about the possibility of mutual interest between Butler and the Nets. However, Brooklyn figures to only be a potential suitor in free agency next summer, not on the trade market during the season.

Nets Notes: Butler, Schröder, Potential Trades, K. Johnson

December 12th, 2024 at 9:09am CST by Luke Adams

Jimmy Butler has shown interest in joining the Nets in the past and would still be interested in potentially ending up in Brooklyn, a source tells Brian Lewis of The New York Post. However, the Nets aren’t considered a potential trade suitor for the Heat star and would only make sense as a landing spot in free agency.

That outcome isn’t out of the question. The Nets project to have more cap room than any other NBA team in 2025, and multiple reports have indicated that Butler’s plan is to turn down his $52MM+ player option for 2025/26 in order to become a free agent after the current season.

Still, Lewis cautions that any Nets interest would have to be “at the right price and on the right terms” — at age 35, Butler can’t realistically expect a long-term, maximum-salary contract as a free agent in 2025, but it remains to be seen how eager he’ll be to take a pay cut and/or a short-term contract. He may prefer one to the other.

With no contending teams projected to have maximum-salary cap space next summer, it’s possible Butler would use the retooling Nets as leverage in order to extract the best possible deal from the Heat or whichever team he’s playing for at the end of this season. But it’s worth noting that Brooklyn has been more competitive than expected so far this season and doesn’t necessarily want to spend several years in the lottery while rebuilding.

“Their reset will be around signing a max free agent and draft picks,” one league source told Lewis. “They for sure won’t tank multiple years. It’s going to be a one-year reset.”

Here’s more on the Nets:

While it’s generally difficult for NBA teams to net a first-round pick in exchange for a role player who has an expiring contract, that’s expected to be the Nets’ asking price on veteran point guard Dennis Schröder, Lewis reports in another story for The New York Post. Marc Stein reported something similar on Tuesday. The 31-year-old, who will earn about $13MM this season before reaching unrestricted free agency in 2025, is averaging career highs in several statistical categories, including assists per game (6.5) and three-point percentage (38.5%).
The Nets may benefit from selling off their productive veteran players sooner rather than later in order to ensure they land a high lottery pick in the 2025 draft, but that doesn’t mean they’ll simply accept the best offer available for players like Schröder and Dorian Finney-Smith. Brooklyn will be seeking real value for its top trade chips, according to Lewis. “They’re not giving anyone away,” one source told The New York Post.
After averaging 12.6 minutes per game in his first 15 outings, Nets guard Keon Johnson has logged 26.3 MPG in seven games (three starts) since Cam Thomas went down with a hamstring injury. As Lewis writes for The Post, Johnson recognizes his playing time could fall off again once Brooklyn’s leading scorer returns. “Nothing is guaranteed, and it’s not guaranteed for him or anybody else,” head coach Jordi Fernandez said. “So the group’s been doing great. There’s going to be guys at times going in and out of the rotation. I hope if you’re out of the rotation, you work really hard to get back in. If you’re in the second group, you work hard to be in the first group. That’s important because that just helps the entire group to be better.”

Jimmy Butler’s Agent Denies Report About Interest In Suns

December 11th, 2024 at 7:53pm CST by Arthur Hill

Phoenix is a potential destination that interests Jimmy Butler as trade rumors continue to swirl around the Heat star, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). However, while Charania’s report suggests that Butler’s agent, Bernie Lee, has “indicated in league circles” that Phoenix would be a favorable landing spot, Lee immediately and vehemently denied any involvement.

“Alright listen. I gave you a pass yesterday because I was busy, but if you don’t stop putting my name on your complete and utter made up bulls–t because you know you normally aren’t worth my time to acknowledge,” Lee responded (via Twitter). “I don’t know what I’m going to do because I’m a middle aged dad but just know it would indicate severe dislike.

“World… all this is fabricated. I have never and honestly it wouldn’t help me or the position I represent to do anything that’s been reported by said ‘journalist.’ Shams, this is your opportunity to say, ‘My bad I let ChatGPT write my tweets and it went old school Peter Vescey..’ (Shams, Peter was a writer in the 90’s). Be a trend setter.. invent the new ‘I was hacked.’ Carry on all. Thank you.”

Charania reported on Tuesday that Lee had made it clear in league circles that Butler would be open to destinations like Houston, Dallas, and Golden State in the event of a trade.

It’s worth noting that Lee and Charania have clashed before, including in April when Charania reported that Butler was feared to have suffered an MCL and was expected to miss several weeks following a collision with Sixers wing Kelly Oubre in a play-in game.

Lee denied the report, as did the team’s beat writers, noting that Butler had yet to undergo an MRI. The Heat star ended up missing the first-round series against Boston with a sprained MCL.

Lee also lashed out following at Charania following his 2021 claim that there were “very, very testy moments behind the scenes” between Butler and the Heat coaching staff, referring to the reporter as an “ambulance chasing, dirt bag piece of s–t” in a tweet he later deleted.

If there’s substance behind Charania’s latest report, it’s significant because any team dealing for Butler would like some assurance that he’ll consider re-signing. He holds a $52.4MM player option for next season and has indicated that he plans to turn that down and test free agency.

Butler is making $48.8MM this season, so it would be difficult to get him to a team like Phoenix, which is operating under second apron restrictions and isn’t permitted to combine salaries in any trade. ESPN’s Bobby Marks points out (Twitter link) that Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal combine for 68% of the Suns’ salary, and Beal has a no-trade clause in his contract, but one of them (presumably Beal) would have to be sent out in any deal involving Butler.

A source tells Gerald Bourguet of PHNX Sports (Twitter link) that the Suns aren’t pursuing a trade for Butler, regardless of any interest he might have. Bourguet’s source states that management has faith in its current roster, pointing out that the team is 11-2 when Durant, Booker and Beal are all healthy.

Bourguet also notes that because Miami and Phoenix are both apron teams, neither can take back more salary than it sends out. The only loophole would be for Miami to attach a veteran’s minimum deal along with Butler’s contract because Phoenix could take on that contract using the minimum salary exception (Twitter link). Involving a third team to take on salary would also work.

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