Brendon Kleen and Ben Garcia here, the hosts of the daily Locked On Suns podcast, with your daily Locked On Suns newsletter. Each day we bring you the biggest stories about the Suns and the NBA, including the hottest links to other stories you need to read. Plus, Josh Lloyd delivers daily fantasy notes to crush your league.
Here’s the Only Way the Suns Should Explore a Deadline Deal
Oct 26, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic (20) against Dallas Mavericks center Daniel Gafford (21) in the first half of the home opener at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas/Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Heading into this year’s NBA trade deadline, the Phoenix Suns have many more options than they did in 2024.
There are small deals as a buyer including Josh Okogie, or small deals as a seller that could include trading away point guards Tyus Jones or Monte Morris. In those, the Suns’ three second-round picks (one of their own and two from Denver) are as good as gone.
More importantly, the Suns have some big fish to fry this year. They can deal Royce O’Neale, Grayson Allen or Jusuf Nurkic on much bigger salaries that would allow them to pursue more expensive rival players. And if they really want to get spicy, the Suns can include their own 2031 first-round pick, which has been accessible in a trade since draft night but stayed on the top shelf for the time being.
On today’s episode, we debate how far the Suns should go. A new report suggests Nurkic is not urgently available, but the Suns would be silly not to listen.
From my vantage point, the Suns should only explore “buying” at the deadline if they can accomplish two things at once. This was the allure of the Jimmy Butler rumors last month: Acquire Butler AND get off of Beal’s contract? Yes please.
If the Suns can pull that off elsewhere, they should. Get rid of Nurkic’s $19.4 million salary for the 2025-26 season, plus find a different role player to help the team? Now we’re talking. If all it takes is the 2031 pick, perhaps protected, that’s a deal worth rolling the dice on.
Outside of that, trading O’Neale or Allen — or trading Nurkic for an equally onerous contract — isn’t worth it. The Suns can’t dig their hole deeper while the season caves in.
Jan 2, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) warms-up before the game against the Indiana Pacers at Kaseya Center. | Jim Rassol/Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
After weeks of downplay by his agent and denials by Heat president Pat Riley, Jimmy Butler has finally said the quiet part out loud to a room of postgame media about his future in Miami.
“What do I want to see happen? I want to see me get my joy back from playing basketball, wherever that may be — we’ll find out here pretty soon — but I want to get my joy back. I’m happy here, off the court, but I want to be back to somewhere dominant. I want to hoop and I want to help this team win. Right now, I’m not doing that,” Butler said.
In a quick follow up, Butler was asked whether he thought he could get his joy back with the Heat.
“Probably not,” he said without any hesitation.
As a Butler in Miami believer, my surprise stems from the state of the team. That the front office has let the Heat’s roster slowly erode to the strange place of competitive limbo they find themselves in. Losing key role players, like Max Strus and Caleb Martin, plus offensive gap fillers like Gabe Vincent, has left the Heat without much depth. The undeniable talent of Butler, Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro — who is having one of his best seasons, despite it all — and sophomore Jamie Jaquez Jr. is there, and for years Duncan Robinson has worked to be whatever the team needs him to be, but the scrappy longevity and the plucky punches this team was capable of pulling two and three seasons ago are gone.
Katie Heindl is a credentialed NBA and WNBA writer, her bylines have appeared with The New York Times Magazine, SLAM, The Athletic, Yahoo Sports, Dime, Rolling Stone, among others. She writes the bestselling Substack, Basketball Feelings and is working on a book of the same name.
Home and Away
Analysis The Phoenix Suns are navigating a challenging season, weighing their offensive and defensive strategies. Experts discuss potential fixes short of a rebuild. (Bright Side of the Sun)
Trade The Phoenix Suns are contemplating moves to resolve their roster issues, with Grayson Allen as a potential trade asset. (Bright Side of the Sun)
Rumor Jimmy Butler is being mentioned as a trade target for the Suns, adding intrigue to the team’s potential roster changes. (Sports Illustrated)
Honor Kevin Durant is among the NBA All-Star leaders, showcasing his continued excellence and fan support. (Sports Illustrated)
Milestone The first voting results for the 2025 NBA All-Star Game see top players like Giannis, Jokic, and Tatum leading, with Suns’ star Durant garnering significant votes. (Bleacher Report)
Honor Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards calls Shai Gilgeous-Alexander the “MVP of the NBA.”(ESPN)
Injury Pistons Jaden Ivey undergoes surgery to repair his broken fibula, and his earliest timeline for return is four weeks. (SportsNet)
Watch Charles Barkley calls out JJ Redick over NBA ratings comments, “dead man walking.” (Awful Announcing)
Fantasy Cheat Sheet
Jimmy Butler’s Trade Request Shakes Up Miami Heat & Fantasy Basketball
Jan 2, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) looks on from the bench during the second half at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol/Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
I’ve been hearing whispers about potential issues between Butler and the Heat organization for months now. Sources close to the situation indicated that the Heat were hesitant to offer Butler a contract extension, which reportedly left him feeling undervalued and frustrated.
Butler’s recent press conference comments, where he stated he may never regain his joy for playing basketball while with the Heat, seem to confirm these tensions. His on-court performance has also noticeably dipped, with Butler appearing disengaged and putting up subpar numbers.
From a fantasy perspective, Butler’s potential departure raises questions about who might step up in his absence. However, looking at games where Butler has been out this season, no clear beneficiary has emerged. Players like Jaime Jaquez Jr., Tyler Herro, and Duncan Robinson have failed to consistently produce starter-level fantasy numbers in Butler’s absence.
Click the button below to get the inside scoop on a rookie center’s breakout game.
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Phoenix Suns Eek Out Victory Over Washington As Ryan Dunn Posts Career Night
The Phoenix Suns escaped Washington with a win over the Wizards despite an ugly fourth quarter from Devin Booker and Co. Brendon Kleen and Ben Garcia recap the 130-123 win, including how the fourth quarter slipped away, continued questions around Tyus Jones, the solid flow between Booker and Kevin Durant, and Ryan Dunn’s career night.
Phoenix Suns Acquire Nick Richards: How Much Of a Boost Will He Bring?
The Phoenix Suns upgraded their center rotation on Wednesday by trading for Nick Richards, who is expected to start right away. Brendon Kleen and Ben Garcia break down the deal, including the price of the deal sending Josh Okogie out, how much better Richards makes the Suns, and what comes next ahead of the NBA trade deadline.
Phoenix Suns Lose Tight Game In Atlanta Despite Kevin Durant & Devin Booker Combining For 66
The Phoenix Suns dropped a tight game in Atlanta despite Kevin Durant and Devin Booker combining for 66 points on the road. Brendon Kleen and Ben Garcia break down the loss, including how Bradley Beal came up short late, how familiar issues plagued the Suns again, and the night of growing pains for the Suns’ rookies.
