PHOENIX – Less than 90 hours till the NBA trade deadline, and there have already been fireworks. Superstar guard Luka Doncic packing his bags to LA for Anthony Davis. All-Star guard DeAaron Fox joining fellow All-Star in center Victor Wembanyama in San Antonio to create a new dynamic duo in the Western Conference for years to come.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!However, the firework that has taken the longest to launch is Jimmy Butler. The six-time All-Star made his desires back in December that he would like to leave Miami. Now, in February, the Jimmy Butler news grew stagnant, with only the occasional Butler suspension announcement to keep trade talks alive.
Jan 19, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) walks off the court after greeting court-side friends following the victory over the San Antonio Spurs at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
It looked like the spark was about to fizzle out until ESPN NBA Insider Brian Windhorst tweeted Sunday night about how one of the suitors for Butler has backed out for the moment.
The Heat’s Jimmy Butler has communicated to the Warriors that he’s unwilling to sign an extension there & therefore trade talks to send him to Golden State have ended for now, sources told ESPN.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) February 3, 2025
The Golden State Warriors were one of the most serious teams pursuing Butler, outside of the Phoenix Suns, with a desire to pair him with their franchise cornerstone guard Stephen Curry. Those dreams, for the moment, are over with Butler not committing to an extension with the Warriors, which leaves the Suns as huge frontrunners.
The only hiccup for Phoenix is still guard Bradley Beal’s no-trade clause that is still halting the trade from happening. However, if the Suns could find Beal his preferred destination, Butler to Phoenix is a strong possibility.
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
