Tyler Herro led Miami to their third straight win tonight as Jimmy Butler continues to serve his seven-game suspension. But it wasn’t just the 119-98 win over Portland that was highlighted in the post-game coverage. NBA TV analyst Dennis Scott also shared his concerns about Butler’s potential fit in Phoenix.
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It wasn’t Butler or his approach that Scott was critical of. Instead, the former Magic forward was wary of Kevin Durant and how he has built a reputation for letting down his teammates.
“I wanna hear KD say he wants Jimmy,” Scott said on NBA TV. “KD, how you left Steph to go be with Kyrie and now you’re there, and now you want to bring Jimmy into this with Book, I don’t like it at all. I don’t like Jimmy Butler around Devin Booker and KD at all.”
"I don't like Jimmy Butler around Booker and KD at all" 👀
With the February 6th trade deadline looming, @Dennis3DScott weighs in on the latest rumors surrounding Jimmy Butler and Miami 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/McuPCfzBbh
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 12, 2025
D-Scott isn’t a fan of the deal, particularly because he doesn’t believe in its long-term benefits. Given Durant’s history of jumping ship, he wants Butler to proceed with caution as he could end up in Phoenix and see KD walk away a season later.
The two-time Finals MVP is on contract through the 2025-26 season, but without an extension, he could walk away in free agency or pressure the team for a trade if they are unable to compete. That would leave Jimmy stranded in Arizona and unable to contend in the final few seasons of his career.
Another uncertainty that plagued Dennis Scott was the involvement of Bradley Beal. The 56-year-old believes that Pat Riley wouldn’t want Beal on his team and the primary challenge of a trade to Phoenix would be finding a suitable home for the veteran shooting guard.
After all, Beal is one of two players in the league with a no-trade clause and he doesn’t have to shift teams if he doesn’t want to.
Kevin Durant reportedly wants Jimmy Butler in Phoenix
ESPN’s Kendrick Perkins played alongside Durant in Oklahoma City. He has kept his ear to the ground and reported on several developments in the Butler-Suns fiasco. Perkins not only shared that KD wants to play alongside Jimmy but also revealed that the Suns were willing to offer the 35-year-old a two-year max extension if they landed him via trade.
Due to their second apron position, the team has limited financial mobility as they can’t aggregate contracts to land Butler. Therefore, Beal is the only player they could trade for the Miami Heat superstar.
With Phoenix falling below .500 for the first time this season, desperation is mounting in the Valley. Coach Mike Budenholzer began the year by relegating Beal and Jusuf Nurkic to the bench, sparking more controversy about the 31-year-old’s future on the team.
Some believe that the three-time All-Star’s benching was a means of exerting pressure. Despite his recent fall-off, Beal is certainly good enough to be a starter in the league and his frustration about the new role could be leveraged by the Suns as they need him to waive his no-trade clause.
