Unsurprisingly, veteran NBA analyst and noted Boston Celtics fan Bill Simmons is the latest to jump into the Jimmy Butler-Miami Heat trade rumors.
Surprisingly, Simmons is actually against the Heat potentially doing something harmful.
Simmons and Chris Mannix discussed the Butler trade talk on the Dec. 18 episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast. ESPN NBA insider Shams Charania recently linked Butler to four teams: the Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and Phoenix Suns.
Simmons and Mannix expressed confusion about the latter team’s presence in Butler rumors. Although the Suns already have established stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on the roster, they’d likely need to trade Bradley Beal to Miami for the salaries to work.
“Miami would have to want Beal,” Mannix said. “I don’t know why Miami [would want him].”
Beal averages 17.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He has two years remaining on a five-year extension he signed in 2022.
“He would have to waive a no-trade clause, and he’s not Bradley Beal anymore,” Simmons argued. “If it was three years ago … I guess we could talk about it, but not the guy now. It doesn’t seem like he could play for three straight weeks.”
Beal has played 60 games once since the 2019-20 season and is currently battling a knee injury.
Is Beal an upgrade over Butler? Probably not, even if he is three years younger than the Heat’s star forward. At least Beal is already used to not being the No. 1 option, a role Tyler Herro has embraced for the Heat thus far.
Who would have guessed Simmons, of all people, would caution the Heat against making a trade he feels they’d lose?
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Jake Elman works as a contributing writer to Miami Heat on SI. He can be reached at jakeelman97@gmail.com or follow him on X @JakeElman97.
