The Suns are fighting a race against time to land Jimmy Butler as the Warriors walk away from the negotiation table.
After a raucous 24 hours in the NBA trade deadline, all eyes will focus on Jimmy Butler‘s next move. The Miami Heat All-Star is set to be traded ahead of this week’s deadline.
Butler’s behavior has caused a lot of headaches for his team, as the Heat have had to suspend him several times. Kevin Garnett recently called out Butler for his unprofessionalism.
Butler has made it clear he wants to join the Phoenix Suns. However, the issue of the no-trade clause means that Jimmy Butler’s future is in Bradley Beal’s hands.
The fight to land Butler, despite the concerns, is still on. And with the latest news emerging about their trade rivals, the Suns are locking in even further.
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Brian Windhorst of ESPN recently reported that Jimmy Butler informed the Golden State Warriors he won’t be signing a contract extension with them should they trade for him.
As a result, the Warriors have bowed out of the Butler sweepstakes. Shams Charania spoke about the future of the Butler trade, noting that the Suns are doing everything in their power to make a deal happen.
“It’s becoming increasingly clear that where he would want to commit long term is the Phoenix Suns. Over the last several weeks, the Heat have been engaged in conversations with both the Suns and the Warriors.”
“Those two teams have been the leaders for Jimmy Butler. His $52 million player option gives him an amount of leverage. Phoenix is fully focused on figuring out… a trade that gives them Jimmy Butler.
“Every single day, in that front office, the [mentality] is ‘How can we get Jimmy Butler and put him in the lineup with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker?’”
Butler is doing everything in his power to force a move to the Suns. But given the complications with that deal, it might require a brilliant chess move to make it happen.
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Jimmy Butler is making things incredibly difficult for all parties involved. The Miami Heat are repeatedly losing suitors because Butler refuses to sign an extension.
The Suns are desperately trying to find a solution to their Bradley Beal problem. Their alternative plan to sign Zach LaVine fell through after last night’s trade to the Kings.
However, the party that suffers the most right now is Jimmy Butler. If he doesn’t get the Suns trade, him alienating all other suitors might force him to stay in Miami.
And when he hits free agency, teams will not have the cap flexibility to sign him. And unless they figure out a reasonable sign-and-trade deal with the Heat, Butler might struggle to get his move.
