The Chicago Bulls reportedly could be involved as a third team to help facilitate a Jimmy Butler trade to the Phoenix Suns.
According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Bulls have talked with the Suns about potentially acquiring guard Bradley Beal, a player Phoenix would likely need to move to make any deal for Butler work.
Butler recently requested a trade from the Miami Heat, and he now has been suspended indefinitely by the team. With the trade deadline approaching, the Heat may have to use a third team to avoid taking back Beal’s salary in a deal with Phoenix.
“What’s more interesting with the Bulls right now is they are absolutely involved in conversations with the Suns involving Jimmy – possible Jimmy Butler situations,” Windhorst said. “Not that Jimmy Butler would end in Chicago. But they would get involved in the trade.”
Windhorst continued.
“If I’m talking about a three-team trade and Jimmy Butler is on one end, and it’s not going to Chicago, we’re talking about Bradley Beal,” Windhorst said.
Beal has a no-trade clause in his contract, which means he has to approve of any destination that the Suns want to send him to. That certainly complicates the trade market, as Phoenix can’t just dump Beal’s salary to a team that isn’t contending and has salary cap space at this point in the 2024-25 season.
“The bottom line is that the Bulls and the Suns have talked on the concept of Bradley Beal ending up in Chicago has been discussed,” Windhorst said. “I’m not saying it’s gonna happen. I’m not saying it’s close.”
The Bulls currently hold the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, but they’ve dropped eight of their last 10 games. Miami, on the other hand, is the No. 8 seed at 22-22. It is just 0.5 games back of the No. 6 seed in the East (which would keep the Heat out of the play-in tournament).
This has not been Butler’s best season in the NBA, but it’s possible that a change of scenery could help him improve. The six-time All-Star is averaging 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 54.0 percent from the field and 36.1 percent from 3 this season for Miami. He’s also only played in 25 games.
If the Suns can get Beal to agree to a trade to Chicago, it becomes a lot more possible that Miami would accept a deal that sends Butler to Phoenix. It’s unclear what the Bulls would be willing to part ways with in the deal and exactly what the Heat would acquire if such a deal were to happen.
