Report: New Team Interested in Jimmy Butler

The Suns’ top trade target could be heading elsewhere.

Jan 21, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) shoots the basketball against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first quarter at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

PHOENIX — It’s looking more and more likely that the Phoenix Suns could be outbid for Jimmy Butler before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.

With the Suns having a hard time finding trade suitors for Bradley Beal’s large contract and with his no-trade clause at play, a new team has reportedly entered the fold for Butler, who has long been linked to the Suns. 

According to The Stein Line NBA insider Jake Fischer:

"The New Orleans Pelicans have this week registered interest in trading for Butler, league sources tell The Stein Line.

"The extent of New Orleans' interest was not immediately clear, but sources say that a firm offer from the Pelicans would be built around the $36 million expiring contract of Brandon Ingram.

"New Orleans has been navigating its own trade scenarios for Ingram after the Pelicans — like Miami with Butler — were unable to reach an extension agreement with the former All-Star this past offseason. Sources told The Stein Line that the Pelicans, after Ingram's $36 million expiring contract had been discussed by rival teams in various trade proposals designed to help facilitate Butler's Miami exit, decided to approach the Heat themselves about swapping Ingram for Butler.

"It is believed that the prospect of acquiring a player of Ingram's caliber would certainly get the Heat's attention, given that Miami is openly motivated to make the playoffs this season even if it is successful with its goal to find a trade that rids them of Butler before the NBA's trade deadline next Thursday at 3 PM ET."

Arizona Sports' John Gambadoro rebuffed the Pelicans' reported interested in Butler on X:

The New Orleans Pelicans have no interest in trading for Jimmy Butler.

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) January 31, 2025

Fischer explained the difficulties the Suns are facing in their pursuit of Butler:

"Phoenix continues to be regarded as the team Butler most wants to land with, but the Suns have strayed far beyond the league's second luxury tax apron and have no functional way to acquire him unless A) they find a team willing to take on Bradley Beal's contract as part of the transaction and B) Beal is willing to waive his full no-trade clause to go to that team. The latter, for weeks, has seemed just as unlikely as the former, with Beal and his agent Mark Bartelstein saying repeatedly that the player prefers to stay in Phoenix.

"New Orleans, meanwhile, has essentially joined Golden State, Milwaukee and Memphis in a grouping of teams that have all contemplated trading for Butler even though he has not angled to land with any of them. All of these teams have the wherewithal to make a Butler trade but, for varying reasons, have not yet made a fully committed play for the six-time NBA All-Star."

The Suns' path to acquiring Butler is seeming less and less likely, and as our Kevin Hicks wrote, Phoenix could have to pivot to other trades to upgrade its roster. The Suns, who have the most expensive roster in NBA history, are currently the No. 9 seed in the Western Conference with a 24-22 record.