The noise surrounding Jimmy Butler and his potential departure following his trade demand towards the Miami Heat has never been louder. Butler's most prominent suitor, the Phoenix Suns, have already geared up for a bigger trade push for the Heat star, and it looks as though the 35-year-old wing is looking forward to a potential team-up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker himself, if his choice of shoes during Miami's 116-107 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers is any indication.
As pointed out by Bleacher Report on X (formerly known as Twitter), Butler was wearing the Suns colorway of his signature Li Ning JB3 shoe, which is perhaps as strong of a hint as he's willing to give to the public that he's urging the Heat to trade him to his most preferred destination as soon as possible.
Butler has a history of being either all in on his team or being all out. Back in 2018, when he had grown disgruntled with the Minnesota Timberwolves and demanded a trade, he also pulled stunts like these, most notably talking trash during scrimmages while leading bench players to wins over starting units as well as conducting an interview with Rachel Nichols, who was with ESPN back then.
With Butler having made his stance regarding a trade away from the Heat crystal clear, it was only a matter of time before his other actions reflected this desire of his to leave the team. Nothing is ever an accident when it comes to the 35-year-old star forward, so as much as he would play this decision of his to wear the Suns colorway of his signature shoes off as a coincidence, all the signs are pointing towards an eventual move for him to the Valley.
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Heat and Suns about to construct a complex trade just to bring Jimmy Butler to the Valley
With the Suns being above the second tax apron, they are subject to a few trade restrictions. They cannot take on more salary than they give out, and they also cannot aggregate multiple pieces to bring in a single player to match salaries in any potential trade. A third or fourth team is necessary for Jimmy Butler to get his wish, especially when the Heat have reportedly shown no willingness whatsoever to take on Bradley Beal and his hefty contract that includes a no-trade clause.
Insiders are suggesting that the Milwaukee Bucks could be the team that takes on Beal's contract, although the Bucks, like the Suns, are above the second tax apron, complicating matters even further.
