Multiple teams have made bets of some size that Phoenix will be terrible between 2026 and 2031. And those bets may pay off.

The Phoenix Suns continue to pursue a trade for Jimmy Butler, but a recent report deems that they will not include one of their key young players in a deal.

Jimmy Butler wore shoes with Phoenix Suns colors during the Miami Heat's game Tuesday night. A day later, he was suspended for missing a team flight.

On Tuesday, the Suns traded their 2031 unprotected first-round pick to the Jazz in exchange for first-round picks in 2025, 2027 and 2029.

The Suns desperately want Butler and the player appears to covet the same - though numerous roadblocks stand in the way of making a deal happen. Though there appears to be little progress made as of late, ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst says the Suns are still very much pushing for a move.

Should a trade involving Miami Heat star Jimmy Butler materialize, it might be one of the most complex deals in NBA history. ESPN's Shams Charania

Miami forward Jimmy Butler appeared to nod at trade rumors of a move to Phoenix, turning out for the Heat’s 116-107 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Tuesday in a pair of Suns-themed colorway shoes.

The Suns look like they will be a play-in team when the regular season ends. But one more trade could be on the horizon.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler attended the final day of the Reserve Cup Miami Saturday, a day after cellphone video posted to the @OnlyInDade Instagram account showed him getting into a verbal altercation at the Reserve Padel Club.

But the Suns are only looking toward the bright side as they return home after their five-game road trip in which they went 3-2. The road swing ended on a 24-point win at Brooklyn, the Suns' second-largest margin of victory behind their 127-100 home rout of the Los Angeles Lakers on Nov. 26.

The Phoenix Suns have been relentless in their preparation to trade for the superstar forward from the Miami Heat.