With the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline rapidly approaching, fans are loading into the trade machine as rumors swirl.
Discussing potential trade packages is always intriguing, but the real question is: How will these players impact winning if they join a new team in the next week?
Jimmy Butler
The Jimmy Butler trade request saga in Miami has dragged on for weeks, marked by a handful of fines and suspensions.
However, that doesn’t diminish Butler’s potential impact on a contending team. The Phoenix Suns, one of Butler’s reported preferred destinations, could benefit significantly from his presence as they aim to make a playoff push in the West. Currently ranked 24th in defense, the Suns would likely see an improvement with Butler. After trading wing Josh Okogie for Nick Richards, the Suns are in need of perimeter defense—something Butler can provide.
Beyond his defensive prowess, Butler remains a skilled playmaker—an area where the Suns have occasionally struggled over the past two seasons. Even at this stage of his career, Butler excels at penetrating the paint and drawing help defenders. He also draws fouls at an elite level, with a free-throw rate of .612 this season. This would help ease some of the scoring burden on Kevin Durant and Devin Booker.
Butler excels at making connective passes in the flow of an offense, and playing off of Durant and Booker could open up similar opportunities. His ability to read help defense, like this, could also open up chances for shooters like Grayson Allen.
Cameron Johnson
Any player shooting 42% from three-point territory on nearly 8 attempts per game is expected to be highly coveted at the trade deadline, and Cameron Johnson is exactly that.
In what has been a career year for the Brooklyn Nets wing, Johnson has captured the attention of fans from contending teams eager for their front offices to pursue him.
Johnson’s talent from beyond the arc makes him a target for teams who could use an additional scoring punch or a reliable wing.
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