Pat Riley: Suns Nearly Traded for Jimmy Butler

The Phoenix Suns nearly got the jolt they needed to potentialy save a season that was stuck in neutral.

Top Miami Heat executive Pat Riley divulged some key information surrounding the dramatic Jimmy Butler saga that ended in a trade prior to the deadline on Friday.

Riley explained the process of trading Butler, going into a bit of detail as to squads that were (or were not) engaged with the Heat in discussions.

“We were pretty much locked in with one team [Phoenix], the team of his choice. It didn’t happen there. We took the deal we felt was best for us now and also in the future," he said.

"We have young players. We have medium age players in their prime. Our draft picks are in better order than what they were. We have a lot of flexibility. That’s where the blueprint is going to come from this summer.”

Phoenix's interest in the multi-time All-Star was reported in mid-December, with discussions spanning nearly two months before it became clear that a deal couldn't be made without forming a multi-team pact that involved Kevin Durant.

Beal's no-trade clause and the rigid nature of Phoenix's draft capital contributed to the deal being excruciatingly difficult to take over the finish line, as Riley alluded to in the above statement.

The rest is history - as the Golden State Warriors eventually secured the deal for Butler - they went 23-7 to finish the season with the services of the swingman.

The Warriors secured the number seven seed in the West but were able to advance to the second round and are now locked into a tight series with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

As for the Suns, the neutral state of the season turned into a downhill slide rapidly - an eight-game losing streak late in the season secured a non-playoff fate for the first time since 2020.

Could Butler have changed fortunes for the Suns if a deal was to get done? Suns fans can only dream about what could have been at this point, but it is interesting to ponder.