The Phoenix Suns have seemingly taken the first step in the direction of trading for Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler.
Even against a struggling team like the Portland Trail Blazers, the Miami Heat were unable to secure a win against the Western Conference side.
In a 116-107 defeat, all eyes were on Jimmy Butler, who played his third game of the 2024-25 NBA season following his seven-game suspension.
Butler’s near-double-double performance was hardly the 35-year-old’s best as he still wants a trade away from the Heat.
Since Butler’s public demand for a trade away from Miami, a plethora of teams have inquired about the 6x NBA All-Star’s availability.
However, amid interest from almost every team in the league, the Phoenix Suns have been named the most likely destination for a trade for Jimmy Buckets.
Keeping that in mind, the Suns have seemingly made their first move towards ultimately trading for Butler.
According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the Suns traded their 2031 unprotected first-round pick to the Utah Jazz in exchange for three first-round picks from their Western rival.
This was undoubtedly an aggressive move by the Suns, but is it enough to convince the Heat to part ways with the face of their franchise?
ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks recently shared his honest opinion on the Suns acquiring a haul of first-round draft picks from the Jazz.
“Do I think Miami now all of a sudden says ‘We are going to take those three first-round picks with the $111 million owed to Bradley Beal,’ I think that’s not going to happen,” Marks stated.
“It’s still a non-starter with the money. But that doesn’t mean there’s not a third or fourth team that says you know what we’ll take a player with one of those picks, and the picks go with Beal somewhere.
“So keep an eye what happens with Bradley Beal,” he added.
In any move to acquire Butler, Bradley Beal would be included in the hypothetical move. However, according to Marks, the Heat won’t budge with the Suns’ including multiple first-round draft picks as Beal’s humongous salary downplays their value.
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