We’re in the thick of NBA trade season and the Phoenix Suns are once again at the center of all of it.
On today’s episode we discuss the latest rumors while attempting to answer whether the Suns can get rid of Jusuf Nurkic and acqure Jimmy Butler all in one fell swoop. That means being creative with their assets.
Multiple reports over the weekend connected Phoenix to Hornets center Nick Richards, with the idea being that Charlotte might take back Nurkic on top of sending out Richards, all for the price of just the three 2nd-round picks the Suns own. That seems impossible, unless the Hornets send out injured forward Grant Williams as part of the deal. More likely would be Josh Okogie going to Charlotte along with one or two second-round picks for Richards.
That would still leave only one or two 2nd-rounders plus Bradley Beal and a 2031 1st-round pick to send out in a Butler deal.
It’s unlikely the Suns can assemble a package for Butler no matter what. Anything short of their full trove of assets makes it even less feasible.
That’s where the Suns could get creative. Rather than sending out Grayson Allen, for instance, in the same deal for Butler, Phoenix could ship him to a separate team for picks or young players that they could then redirect to Miami or whichever team takes Beal. They could do the same with Tyus Jones or Monte Morris, assembling assets that add up to a more appealing package to get Butler.
We even discuss splitting that 2031 1st-rounder into more picks, the same way the Suns did in 2023 in swaps with Memphis and Orlando, or how Dallas did at the 2024 deadline to get P.J. Washington and Daniel Gafford on their way to an NBA Finals run.
With a .500 team and a top-heavy roster, the Suns will be hard-pressed to check all the boxes at the deadline. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
