PHOENIX — Phoenix Suns insider John Gambadoro believes not only does Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler have interest in playing for the organization – the Valley is actually his preferred choice.
During the opening segment on Arizona Sports’ “Burns and Gambo”, Gambadoro offered the following update on the situation amid reports from ESPN’s Shams Charania revealing the Suns were a place to watch for the Heat superstar:
“Shams Charania is not incorrect, despite what the agent says, despite what the Miami Heat may say. I always take a little bit of time making sure I get stories correct, because I don’t go out there with incorrect information: Jimmy Butler is absolutely interested in coming to the Phoenix Suns, if he were to be traded from the Miami Heat, the Phoenix Suns are very, very high on his list,” said Gambadoro.
“Yes. Jimmy Butler, if he is going to get traded from Miami, is interested in the Phoenix Suns. I would go as far as to say that I believe this will be his number one choice, is to come play for the Phoenix Suns. … I believe that he is very interested in the Phoenix Suns.”
The Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Dallas Mavericks are also reported destinations that could see Butler land in their uniform.
There’s some massive roadblocks in the way of a deal between the two sides: Phoenix is knee deep in the second apron of the luxury tax, and with that comes restrictions on aggregating player salaries and not taking more money back in a deal.
The Suns also would need star guard Bradley Beal to waive his trade clause, which is something Gambadoro said yesterday he believes would happen if the opportunity arose.
There are certainly interesting developments to monitor as the NBA’s Feb. 6 trade deadlines crawls closer.
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