Jimmy Butler trade rumors: Expert drops bold prediction about Suns' all-out move for 6x All-Star
As the NBA trade deadline nears, rumors regarding Jimmy Butler and the Phoenix Suns continue to grow. One expert expects the team to land the all-star forward but doesn't think it will yield the results they're looking for.
Since Butler's fallout with the Miami Heat began, the Suns have been the most consistent team tied to him. The noise has grown louder after Phoenix acquired more first-round picks.
In Wednesday's column for USA Today, Lorenzo Reyes put together a list of bold predictions for the second half of the season. Among them was the Suns acquiring Butler at the deadline, but failing to reach the postseason.
"While Butler presents a slight upgrade over Bradley Beal, the fit alongside Kevin Durant and Devin Booker will almost certainly need some time to materialize," Reyes wrote. "But the Suns (21-21) are 10th in the West, and Butler will not fix the team's massive lack of depth."
The Suns are battling for a playoff spot but are in a position to climb the standings. While they are 10th in the Western Conference, Phoenix only trails the sixth-place LA Lakers by two-and-a-half games.
NBA insider details the latest on the Phoenix Suns' pursuit of Jimmy Butler
The Phoenix Suns added to their war chest of assets by making a trade with the Utah Jazz on Tuesday. They parted with an unprotected first-round pick in exchange for three first-round picks. Given their reported interest in Jimmy Butler, many saw this move as gathering more draft capital to potentially get a deal done.
While on ESPN's "SportsCenter" on Tuesday, NBA insider Shams Charania touched on what this trade moves in regards to Butler. He brought up that a deal of this magnitude will likely involve multiple teams and the Suns need enough pieces to please everyone tied into the trade.
"The Suns, if they're going to complete a deal for Jimmy Butler, it's likely going to be something that's going to take three, four, five teams," Charania said. "To do that, you have to have enough assets to make adequate all these other teams."
Butler returned to the Heat's lineup last week after a seven-game suspension. The six-time all-star has appeared in 25 games this season, averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
With more pieces to play with, the clock is ticking for the Suns to make a big splash. They have less than two weeks to go until the deadline.