Insider Jake Fischer reports that the Suns do not plan on moving Kevin Durant at the deadline, but are very aware of the interest that teams have. Fischer notes that the fact that Phoenix is even acknowledging the interest shows that for the right price, Durant could certainly be on the move.
While Phoenix did reportedly attempt to land Jimmy Butler to bolster their championship odds, the Heat were unwilling to take on Bradley Beal’s contract to make that happen, making the trade for Butler all but impossible. That said, given the Suns’ supposed interest in Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga, the Warriors might be the most likely team to get a deal done.
The Bulls are not done dealing
With Zach LaVine in Sacramento now, the Bulls have done their job. They were able to get one of their massive contracts off their books. However, the team likely isn’t done just yet. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, the Bulls are still looking to deal Lonzo Ball, Nikola Vucevic, and Coby White before Thursday’s trade deadline.
Marks makes it clear that the Bulls are in full rebuild mode and looking to accumulate more draft capital, which they started to accrue with the LaVine trade. Unfortunately for Chicago, both Vucevic and Ball are earning over $20 million per year, making a deal more difficult to achieve. They’ll likely have to settle for less than their players are worth to get any teams to take on those contracts. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst believes that, at the very worst, Ball could wind up being a buyout candidate.
Mavericks, Rockets in pursuit of Kevin Durant
Though the Warriors may have been the first team to show interest in Kevin Durant, it appears other teams are joining the race now, particularly a pair of Texas teams in the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets. Per a report from The Athletic , each team has expressed a desire to land the 14-time All-Star.
In fact, both Houston and Dallas may have a better chance to land Durant than Golden State. The Athletic notes that “the Suns’ messaging about their willingness to trade Durant is different depending on the team.” They also claim that the asking price offered to the Warriors was “exorbitant,” implying that Phoenix is more inclined to trade Durant to someone else.
Jimmy Butler re-asserts that he is ready to move on
In a statement on Tuesday, Jimmy Butler reportedly told the Heat that he is healthy and wants to move on from the organization ASAP.
Given the fact that the Heat have not found a deal for Butler yet, it’s seeming more and more unlikely that Butler will be shipped before the Feb. 6 deadline. Furthermore, the report indicates that no team has tried to talk to Butler regarding a potential long-term deal, despite Butler asking for such accommodations. All that is to say, a deal for Butler does not seem to be close.