Report: Suns Pulling Away From Jimmy Butler Trade

The Phoenix Suns' pursuit of Jimmy Butler may be coming to an end.

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 / Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns' long pursuit of Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler may be coming to an end.

According to ClutchPoints' Brett Siegel, some around the NBA believe the Suns are backing off a deal for the superstar:

"There has been some chatter since last night of the Suns pulling away from Jimmy Butler trade talks and focusing on improving their roster by moving Jusuf Nurkic. Hawks' Bogdan Bogdanovic is one name that keeps coming up in conversations," he wrote on Twitter/X.

There has been some chatter since last night of the Suns pulling away from Jimmy Butler trade talks and focusing on improving their roster by moving Jusuf Nurkic.

Hawks' Bogdan Bogdanovic is one name that keeps coming up in conversations.

— Brett Siegel (@BrettSiegelNBA) January 30, 2025

There's been some mutual reported interest from both the Suns and Butler on making something work, though a handful of roadblocks stand in the way of that happening.

Most notably is the no-trade clause in Bradley Beal's contract, which gives Beal ultimate say in what Phoenix can/can't do so long as he's the main trade piece. Though there's been varying reports on Beal's willingness to waive it, it seems like he simply won't allow a trade to happen just to appease the Suns.

It takes two to tango, and the Heat reportedly aren't big fans of taking on Beal's massive contract, which averages $50.2 million annually.

There were reported multi-team trades in the works, though more hands in the pot typically makes it more difficult to strike a deal.

Phoenix has already pulled off two trades ahead of the league's Feb. 6 deadline, the first coming in the form of Charlotte Hornets center Nick Richards, who has started all but one game for the Suns since landing with the organization.

Shortly after, the Suns swapped their 2031 first-round pick to the Utah Jazz for three future firsts, which prompted many to believe a potential splash was on the horizon.

After feeling like a matter of when and not if, a Butler-to-Phoenix deal sure feels foggy at this moment in time.

The Suns and Atlanta Hawks have reportedly held trade talks around Nurkic - you can read more about that here.