NBA Trade Rumor: Jimmy Butler reunion on the table as 76ers mull trading 9x All-Star

Between now and the Feb. 6 NBA Trade Deadline, Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat seem all but guaranteed to part ways. With Miami handing Butler an indefinite suspension on Monday as a result of the six-time All-Star's decision to walk out of practice, the urgency surrounding a deal seems to have picked up.

According to Yahoo NBA insider Vincent Goodwill, despite Butler's desire to join the Phoenix Suns, there's a chance that he winds up back in Philadelphia. During the latest episode of The Good Word on Tuesday, Goodwill shed light on whispers that the 76ers could bring Butler back with a swap for nine-time All-Star Paul George.

Currently, Philly is struggling to climb the Eastern Conference standings, winning just three of its 10 most recent games. With the team sitting in 11th place in the East, Goodwill reported that Joel Embiid is pushing the team to re-acquire Butler:

“I've heard that Philly quietly could be a suitor for Jimmy Butler…theoretically, it would be a Jimmy for Paul George swap. I believe that Embiid is pushing for them to reacquire Jimmy."

Despite that, as he indicated, the team has told Paul George that it doesn't have any plans of parting ways with him in the first year of his deal.

This isn't the first time there's been talk of Jimmy Butler rejoining Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers

During the 2018-19 season, Jimmy Butler and the Minnesota Timberwolves parted ways under tense circumstances, with the veteran forward infamously leading the Timberwolves bench unit to a win over the team's starters during a scrimmage before walking out.

Ultimately, the team wound up sending Butler to Philadelphia, where he joined Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. While Butler only played in Philly for just 55 games, averaging 18.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.8 steals per game, he and Joel Embiid reportedly formed a close bond.

This past offseason, before the 76ers acquired Paul George, Goodwill reported that Joel Embiid wanted the team to acquire Butler, calling the Heat star Embiid's "guy".

During an episode of The Good Word back in November, Goodwill said:

“He wanted Jimmy Butler. He told the 76ers, ‘Go get my guy’… I don’t think Joel Embiid has been happy even though they wound up getting Paul George. He wanted Jimmy Butler back over there.”

Considering the clock is ticking on Butler's time with the Miami Heat, Philly could be a potential destination to monitor between now and the Feb. 6 deadline. While the team has told Paul George that it wouldn't trade him in the first year of his deal, if it means keeping Joel Embiid happy, the franchise may reconsider.