The Suns (14-14) got off to a rollicking 8-1 start to the season but have since gone 6-13 to settle into a mediocre .500 team.
In light of their recent struggles, the Suns are reportedly exploring the idea of trading for Heat All-Star Jimmy Butler, who is said to be available in trade talks before the Feb. 6 deadline.
According to The Arizona Republic’s Duane Rankin, the Suns recently engaged the Heat about a trade involving Butler and Bradley Beal.
“As for Bradley Beal, sources informed The Republic there still are conversations about a deal with the Miami Heat involving Jimmy Butler,” Rankin wrote.
Beal, who owns a no-trade clause in his $251M contract, would have to agree to a move to Miami. The 31-year-old guard previously waived the clause when the Wizards traded him to the Suns in June 2023.
The report added that there’s no guarantee the Heat would hold onto Beal and it’d be “in their best interest” to remove his no-trade clause from the contract. Such a move would allow them to flip Beal for other players or assets.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Butler has listed the Suns among the four teams he’d welcome a trade to, besides the Mavericks, Rockets and Warriors. As such, the Suns are likely exploring the deal due to Butler’s reported interest in playing alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
Among Butler’s four preferred destinations, the Rockets have the easiest path to landing the six-time All-Star due to their cap flexibility. Houston is loaded with a chest of draft picks and tradable contracts, including Fred VanVleet’s expiring $42.8M deal, that it can use to acquire Butler. Furthermore, Houston can open up more than $60M in cap space in the 2025 offseason to offer Butler a new contract.
