Jimmy Butler has been heavily linked to the Phoenix Suns this season and it now appears likelier than ever before that he will end up there. While some doubt how much better Butler makes the Suns, team insider John Gambadoro claims a player told him no one in the league wants to see this trade happen.
“Spoke with an NBA player tonight who said the league does not want Butler in Phoenix. Makes them an instant contender. Alpha male, culture setter, sets tone defensively, would be best perimeter defender, will guard Kawhi, Shai, Lebron, Luka, Jamal, Jalen Green.
“Significantly better than Beal, Posts up, Gets to FT line, will do dirty work KD and Book don’t do, will get 6-7 assists and rebounds per game, Hi IQ, winner at highest level, can win you a series, big time in playoffs, will be motivated!”
There is no denying that acquiring Butler would make the Suns better than they are now. The 35-year-old hasn’t put up great numbers this season, as he is averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game in 2024-25, but that could well be down to the fact that he doesn’t want to play for the Miami Heat.
A motivated Butler should play better for the Suns and he would help with one of the biggest issues with this team, defense. Their 115.5 defensive rating ranks 24th in the NBA and is one of the reasons why they’re just 21-21 on the season.
Butler is not the elite defender he once was but is still pretty good on that end of the floor. The six-time All-Star is also an able playmaker and the Suns could do with having another one next to Tyus Jones.
As this player is said to have pointed out, Butler elevates his game in the playoffs as well. Every team in the NBA would love to have a player of his caliber among their ranks but would he instantly make the Suns a contender? Well, that’s doubtful.
For starters, integrating a piece like Butler next to Kevin Durant and Devin Booker will take time and we are already halfway through the season. There isn’t enough time for the stars to build the kind of chemistry that you need if you are to be a serious title contender.
Another major issue with the Suns is that don’t have a good big man on their roster. Jusuf Nurkic (who they want to get rid of), Nick Richards, Oso Ighodaro, and Mason Plumlee are solid options but you need better ones.
Not having a good big often results in teams struggling on the glass and the Suns are averaging 42.3 rebounds per game, which ranks 25th in the NBA. They also rank 23rd in the league in bench scoring with 32.4 points per game.
Butler’s arrival won’t solve either of these problems, so it’s hard to say the Suns would become contenders with him. There are one too many flaws here for one player to transform their fortunes. At best, the Suns win a playoff series or maybe even two with Butler but that’s about it.
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