Suns Podcaster Breaks Down Jimmy Butler’s Potential Fit With Kevin Durant

Recent weeks have featured increased speculation the Miami Heat could trade suspended forward Jimmy Butler to the Phoenix Suns.

Such a move ensures Butler, who is reportedly frustrated by the Heat’s roster construction, teams up with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant to form the league’s newest Big Three.

Suns podcaster Mike Vigil sounds optimistic the trio would work out.

“I think Butler would be a better fit in that he would be the best defender on the Suns right away,” Vigil told Ethan Skolnick on Tuesday’s Five on the Floor episode.

Butler is a five-time All-Defensive selection and remains an imposing force in his age-35 season. He averages 5.5 rebounds and 1.2 steals across 30.8 minutes.

Any potential trade involving Butler joining the Heat likely involves Miami acquiring Bradley Beal. SI NBA insider Chris Mannix reported last week Beal is open to waiving his no-trade clause if he joins a contender.

However, Mannix added Miami doesn’t want Beal. The 31-year-old Beal has a $53.6 million cap hit next season. Beal also owns a $57.1 million player option for the 2027 season, the final year of the five-year contract he signed in 2022.

REAL DEAL BRADLEY BEAL TAKING FLIGHT ‼️ pic.twitter.com/dgWeYUwZg8
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) January 11, 2025

Butler is expected to decline his $52 million player option and hit unrestricted free agency this summer.

“Bradley Beal himself holds all the cards in this situation,” Vigil said.

The idea of a Big Three featuring Butler, Booker, and Durant certainly sounds fun on paper. Phoenix currently has +4000 odds to win the NBA Finals on Hard Rock Bet, though that’d almost certainly skyrocket if the Suns acquire Butler.

However, Vigil sees one potential issue in a Butler, Booker, and Durant trio.

“He doesn’t shoot a ton of threes, so that would be a problem considering the other two stars [Durant and Booker] don’t shoot a ton of threes,” Vigil explained.

LOWRY REPORTEDLY ‘FATIGUED’ BY BUTLER

Don’t feel bad if the Butler-Heat trade saga has worn you out in recent weeks.

At least one former Heat player might share your opinion.

NBA insider Jake Fischer reported Monday that ex-Heat guard Kyle Lowry became frustrated spending two-plus seasons playing with Butler.

“Sources say even Lowry, who remains as close away from the court as anyone to Butler, gradually grew fatigued by his teammate’s headstrong tendencies on the floor,” Fischer wrote.

Fischer said Lowry, now with the 76ers, declined to comment.

ALLEN SIDES WITH RILEY IN BUTLER FEUD

A significant number of former NBA players have sided with Butler during his feud with Heat president Pat Riley.

Longtime Memphis Grizzlies guard Tony Allen feels both are guilty—and he doesn’t want anyone ignoring Butler’s responsibility for the saga getting out of hand.

On a recent episode of Ticket and the Truth, Allen acknowledged he doesn’t like how Butler has handled himself lately.

Allen defended the Heat’s reluctance to extend Butler after injuries cost him 22 games last season.

“For a guy that played 75 percent during the regular season, how [are] you gonna ask for max money when you only wanna play one part of the season?” Allen asked.

“You know what this culture’s about,” Allen continued, adding, “Come win something for me, then we can holla.”

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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.