The possibility of Jimmy Butler joining a new team has recently captured NBA headlines. 35-year-old Butler is in the midst of his sixth season with the Heat, but it has been a tumultuous one, to say the least. Earlier this month, Miami suspended Butler for seven games for

“multiple instances of conduct detrimental to the team,” in the wake of his public comments suggesting he wanted to be traded.

As part of the suspension statement, the Heat announced that they would listen to trade offers for Butler. Butler returned to play in three games after his seven-game suspension ended, but he was handed another two-game suspension after missing a team flight. On Monday, Butler was suspended once again after walking out of practice. The latest suspension is indefinite, meaning the six-time All-Star may have played his final game as a member of the Heat.

But, with both the Phoenix Suns and Golden State Warriors emerging as potential suitors, the path to acquiring the Miami Heat star isn’t as smooth as it may appear. The Suns’ pursuit of Butler seems complicated, mainly due to the massive Bradley Beal contract weighing them down, which no team is eager to take on. Beal also isn’t keen on waiving his no-trade clause just to help Phoenix, making a trade highly unlikely.

But here’s the thing—not every team is stuck in the same spot. Someone else might actually have a shot at making this happen. The Golden State Warriors aren’t dealing with a Beal-sized contract like the Suns, but that doesn’t mean their path to Jimmy Butler is any easier. Their issue? They don’t have one massive salary to match Butler’s deal. Instead, they’d have to string together multiple contracts, which creates its own set of problems.

Warriors forward Draymond Green discussed the challenge on his podcast, explaining that either Steph Curry’s max contract could match Butler’s, or the Warriors would have to bundle multiple contracts, such as Andrew Wiggins’ $26 million and his $24 million, to make the deal work. “It’s hard to trade a guy that make $52 million a year, for instance, if you look at our roster, say you wanna trade—um, say you want to trade for Jimmy with at least the least amount of players that you could on our roster,” Draymond said. “That means either you got to trade Jimmy straight up for Steph. Yeah. Or you have to trade Jimmy for me and Wigs and it’s like right, so I don’t think you’re going to do that.” 

Most would argue that Butler is still the superior NBA player, and probably rightly so. But the fact is that the numbers are incredibly similar this season. Wiggins is averaging 17.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and shooting 37.8% from 3-point range, while Butler is posting 17 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists on 36.1% 3-point shooting.

However, recent developments have thrown a wrench into the situation. According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Heat has lowered its asking price for Butler following his indefinite suspension on Monday, which has reopened the door for trade talks. This change has caught the attention of the Warriors, with Yahoo’s Kevin O’Connor reporting that they are once again in the mix for Butler.

The fit makes sense. The Warriors are led by a pair of four-time NBA champions Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, but they have a young supporting cast of Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody, Trayce Jackson-Davis, and Brandin Podziemski. Adding another accomplished veteran like Butler could be the type of move that solidifies their status as a playoff team, particularly in a competitive Western Conference. A trio of Curry, Butler, and Green could make Golden State a nightmare matchup in a seven-game series. But there’s another contender in the race—one that could potentially benefit from Butler’s suspension.

Philadelphia 76ers star wants Jimmy Butler back

According to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, the Philadelphia 76ers might sneak into the race for Butler, possibly swapping him for Paul George. Goodwill mentioned that Joel Embiid is behind the push to bring Butler back, saying, “I’ve heard that Philly quietly could be a suitor for Jimmy Butler…theoretically, it would be a Jimmy for Paul George swap. I believe that Embiid is pushing for them to reacquire Jimmy.”

But Butler’s latest indefinite suspension, his third this month, pretty much kills any chance of mending his relationship with the Heat. With the trade deadline looming on February 6, this suspension could work in Philly’s favor since Miami is reportedly lowering its price for Butler.

Still, if the Sixers want in, they’ve got issues to deal with. First off, they promised Paul George he wouldn’t be traded in the first year of his deal. Not to mention, George’s hefty contract doesn’t fit Miami’s long-term plans. The Heat are eyeing the 2026 free-agent class and need cap space, making George’s deal a problem.

And let’s be real: with Embiid only playing 13 games this season, it’s hard to see how Butler makes a huge difference. Unless the Sixers are just hoping to get back where they were last summer, there’s not much upside.