Suns Trade Rumors: Analyst blames impulsive $8 B owner for targeting Jimmy Butler with disastrous future looming after pick deal
Jimmy Butler has long been rumored to be going to the Phoenix Suns after requesting a trade last month. A trade to the Suns could end the ongoing saga of Butler with the Miami Heat organization and add a new superstar for the Suns, which already gave up their future to form the big three of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal.
But for NBA analyst John Hollinger of The Athletic, the potential trade to the Valley is another case of Suns owner Mat Ishbia’s impulsive tendencies after he saw lackluster results since trading for Durant two years ago and Beal last year, which destroyed a core that reached the NBA Finals in 2021, and subsequently their future draft capital.
“Of course, it’s that same impulsive habit under owner Mat Ishbia — chasing short-term sugar highs while burning the future to the ground,” Hollinger wrote.
This comes after the Suns dealt their 2031 first-round pick to the Utah Jazz for three first-round picks in 2025, 2027, and 2029. According to Hollinger, this helps the Suns prepare for short-term deals that may or may not land them a star like Butler.
“At this point, all roads lead to Butler, obviously, given that he is the one glittery, shiny object on the trade market, and the Ishbia-era Suns cannot resist shiny objects,” Hollinger added. “The fact that Phoenix went through with this Utah trade is a sign we’re getting warm, and not necessarily on a two-team deal.”
For Hollinger, Butler would only add a few more wins to their total this season, but it will not change their future and perhaps would not result in any playoff success.
“Butler, or some other star, would help win a few more games this year, but it won’t change the Suns’ overarching reality: their best player is 36, they have no draft picks, they have no good young players, and they can’t sign any free agents above the minimum,” he said.
Butler returned to the Heat this week after a seven-game suspension. Meanwhile, the Suns have been floundering in the West standings with a 21-21 record, good only for the 10th seed.
Jimmy Butler wears Phoenix Suns-colored sneakers
Jimmy Bulter may have sent a message to the Miami Heat following the Phoenix Suns’ trade that acquired them three picks for a potential trade. Butler wore Suns-themed shoes in the Heat’s loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday, doubling down on rumors about his preferred destination.
The shoes were the Li-Ning JB2 in an unreleased and player-exclusive colorway that further added another layer to the ongoing saga between the player and the team ahead of the trade deadline.
The NBA trade deadline will be on Feb. 6, giving Butler, the Heat, and the Suns enough time to find a way to manufacture a deal for the disgruntled star.