'Hey Bradley...': NBA analyst wants the Suns to trade for Jimmy Butler

The Phoenix Suns' Big 3 of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal has faced several injury setbacks during their time together.

Even in the 2024-25 NBA season, the Suns may hold the sixth seed in the Western Conference, but they are currently underperforming.

With Miami Heat superstar Jimmy Butler caught in a storm of trade rumors, NBA insider Shams Charania recently named the Suns as one of the favorable destinations for the 35-year-old.

On that note, former NBA champion Richard Jefferson weighed in on the idea of trading for Butler. He urged the Suns to include star guard Bradley Beal in a hypothetical trade package to acquire the Heat forward.

"How do they get Jimmy Butler? I'm asking," Jefferson said. "So this ain't just about what Jimmy Butler wants, it's also about 'Hey Bradley,'we're sending you someplace else' because I don't see one draft asset, I don't see other young assets. I know Devin Booker and Kevin Durant aren't the people they're talking about."

"This ain't just about what Jimmy Butler wants, it's also about 'Hey Bradley [Beal], we're sending you someplace else.'" 😳

—@Rjeff24 on how the Suns could acquire Jimmy Butler from the Heat 👀 pic.twitter.com/2QSl6Kf7lL
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) December 17, 2024

To be honest, Beal hasn't really played at a level that the Suns had hoped for when they acquired him in a blockbuster trade with the Washington Wizards.

Sure, Beal is playing the third option behind the dynamic duo of Durant and Booker, but he is simply too injury prone to rely upon when the going gets tough.

As Jefferson pointed out, a lack of assets will force the Suns to include Beal in the trade package if they decide to pursue Butler before the NBA Trade Deadline.