NBA Trade Rumors: If the Miami Heat wants to trade Jimmy Butler, it may be Phoenix Suns or bust with only a few days before the NBA Trade Deadline.
It's hard for the Miami Heat to feel strongly about their chances of trading Jimmy Butler after the big moves that took place over the weekend. As the Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, and Sacramento Kings all made their blockbuster moves ahead of the trade deadline, the Heat have to be wondering if theirs will ever take place at this point. And with the latest speculation from across the league, there's a growing chance they may only have one more opportunity to end the Jimmy saga.
The most recent news on the Jimmy front revolves around the fact that trade talks between the Heat and Golden State Warriors broke down after his camp made it known that he has no interest in signing an extension with the team. Because of that, the Warriors have officially pulled out of the Jimmy sweepstakes for the moment. In what appears to be a clear attempt to continue to force his way to Phoenix, his only desired landing spot, Jimmy continues to play hardball with the Heat. With now much time before the trade deadline, the clock is ticking for Miami to find a resolution.
The Jimmy saga may not end at the NBA Trade Deadline
I've been pretty consistent from the beginning. I do believe that the Jimmy saga is going to come down to whichever side ends up blinking first. Just days before the trade deadline, it doesn't appear as if Jimmy has any plans on doing that. The ball is now in Miami's court. From what we know, of the teams that have at least shown some interest in the possibility of trading for Jimmy, the two teams that may still be in play are the Bucks and the Suns. To be quite honest, I'm not sure how much the Bucks are interested at the moment. Most of that is mere speculation.
At the same time, now that Zach LaVine is off the trade block, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Bucks consider a pursuit of Jimmy. Do I expect it to happen? Probably not, because I can't imagine Jimmy will want to sign an extension with the team after the season - nor do I believe the Bucks would be interested in that. I do suppose it's still a possibility.
Short of that playing out in that manner, it does appear as if all Jimmy trade roads lead to the Suns. For the Heat, there's a very good chance they'll have to determine whether a deal of Bradley Beal and picks (if another team doesn't step up as a possible landing spot for Beal) is going to be good enough return for Jimmy. If not, there appears to be a growing chance that this saga will lead right into the offseason, in which it could get even uglier than it already is at the moment.