Where will Jimmy Butler go next? The Miami Heat veteran has been in the headlines, over the last few weeks, for making it clear that his future is no longer with the franchise. Even after Pat Riley had dismissed the trade rumors associated with the player, Butler added fuel to the fire by stating, “I want my joy back… I want to play with a dominant team”. This led to a 7-game suspension and reports that the Heat front office had begun searching for the player’s next home. Names like the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers have been touted as potential trade options. None rise higher, however, than the Phoenix Suns. After all, it is one team the veteran may know whose players would welcome him with open arms.

Former NBA player Austin Rivers recently hosted another segment of his long-running ‘Off Guard’ podcast. Rivers and his co-hosts also touched base on the Phoenix Suns being Jimmy Butler’s next destination. To them, the veteran can adopt the same role that he undertook during his Chicago Bulls days, with Devin Booker serving as the proficient point guard instead of Derrick Rose. Furthermore, they believed that Butler would not receive any resistance from at least two of his potential new teammates.

“That’s why I’m kind of interested to see the fit because they’re (Durant and Booker) going to, you know what I mean? They’re going to be happy when they get him,” said Rivers. “I’m sure KD has already signed off on it. Like, we talked about before.” This remark led the hosts to question whether the players are already aware of any new acquisition beforehand. Rivers speculated in a positive manner, adding “Always know when trade moves, trades happen, unless it’s them being in it, but even then a star usually knows.”

Even if Jimmy Butler joins the Phoenix Suns, the ‘Off Guard’ hosts made it clear that there is one thing that the Small Forward needs to be aware of. When joining a franchise like that, there will be no chance that he will be the #1 player. Therefore, instead of focusing solely on getting the ball and making a mark offensively, the hosts warned Butler to be efficient in other areas too.

“Go be that junkyard dog. Defend. Still need help with scoring because they need you, maybe bring you back to the bench, but we need you to do all that other stuff that makes you really good, Jimmy. If he’s not doing that for Phoenix, then it won’t work,” said Rivers. “Simply put. Like, he wants the ball and like, close the game with that, like stuff he loves doing in Miami. He’s good at that. He makes big shots. Jimmy, you won’t have the ball. You’re not going to have it.”

Several reasons match like a puzzle when considering to make a Jimmy Butler-Phoenix Suns scenario a reality. As Brian Windhorst reported, discussion on how to make a trade a reality has already been considered, since “Phoenix has also discussed using the one first-round pick it is still allowed to trade (2031) in various talks around trying to acquire Butler, multiple league sources told ESPN.” Toronto Star journalist Doug Smith reported that the Raptors may help facilitate a potential trade for the Suns. After all, they have more than $40 million in expiring contracts, including Bruce Brown and Chris Boucher. Involving at least 3 or 4 teams in the trade discussion would be essential, to not let the salary cap reach an extent that the franchise ends up dealing with penalties listed under the CBA guidelines.

In the end, it will all be worth it, if a trio of Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant, and Devin Booker helped bring in a new era for the Phoenix Suns.

The creation of a new ‘Big 3’, made up of another set of most recognizable NBA faces, can certainly make several NBA enthusiasts happy. However, one of them may continue being critical of the team up until what he predicted finally bears fruition.

Former Orlando Magic player speaks against a Jimmy Butler-Kevin Durant team-up: “I don’t like it at all”

Having retired from the NBA back in 2000, Dennis Scott never got to play with either Jimmy Butler, Kevin Durant, or Devin Booker. Despite this, he kept an eye on them, and the NBA world, after becoming an analyst for Turner Sports. This allowed him to become one of the most prominent voices against Jimmy Butler being traded to the Phoenix Suns. However, it wasn’t because of anything the Heat star did. It was because of Kevin Durant, and his history.

“I wanna hear KD say he wants Jimmy,” said Scott during a segment of NBA TV dated January 11. “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.” From what Dennis Scott had to say, he does not consider Kevin Durant to be a long-term player. After all, the veteran has played with 4 different teams over the course of 17 years. Though Durant has not indicated at all that he wishes to leave the Phoenix Suns, one can never really be too careful. Especially now, since the 2x NBA champion is on contract only through the 2025-26 season, and without an extension in place.

For now, Jimmy Butler heading to the Phoenix Suns continues to remain a matter of speculation. Until some official updates come in, all one can do is speculate.