NBA player says league doesn’t want Jimmy Butler on Suns because they’d be instant contenders

An anonymous NBA player reportedly believes that the league doesn’t want Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler to land with the Phoenix Suns because it would make them an instant contender.

The Suns have been rumored to be interested in Butler for quite some time, but they’d likely have to move guard Bradley Beal (who has a no-trade clause) to make it happen. Beal recently addressed the trade rumors surrounding him, saying, “I hold the card cards,” because of his no-trade clause.

Phoenix is currently just the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference with a 21-21 record. Suns head coach Mike Budenholzer also recently adjusted his rotation, moving Beal to the bench, in an attempt to spark the team.

Adding a player like Butler certainly would make the Suns a team to watch because of the Heat star’s previous playoff performances. During his time in Miami, Butler has led the Heat to two NBA Finals appearances and three Eastern Conference Finals appearances.

In the 2022-23 season, Miami made the Finals as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference, an improbable run since the team had to fight through the play-in tournament just to make the playoffs.

This season, Butler hasn’t produced at his usual level. He’s averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 54.0 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from 3.

A six-time All-Star, he is averaging his fewest points per game since his third season in the NBA, and he’s only appeared in 25 games for the Heat. Recently, the Heat suspended Butler for seven games for conduct detrimental to the team, but he returned to action on Friday, Jan. 17 against the Denver Nuggets.

If the Suns were able to add Butler to a core that already features Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, they’d certainly be a team to watch in the West. Phoenix was the No. 6 seed in the West last season, but it lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Since trading for Durant during the 2022-23 season, the Suns have won just one playoff series. It’s possible that the franchise believes that Butler could be the fix to its playoff woes.