The Suns-Jazz trade that happened on Tuesday may not seem like much. The Suns traded away a 2031 unprotected first-round pick for three (theoretically) less valuable first-round picks in 2025, 2027, and 2029. These picks, while less valuable, provide the Suns with more flexibility for future trades. A Jimmy Butler trade for the Suns is certainly the most talked about option, but even if the Suns are unable to pull that off, having three first-round picks instead of one to trade opens up a range of new possibilities. Let’s take a look at how this Suns-Jazz trade opens up new Suns trade options for a team that had almost none.
New Suns Trade Options Open After The Suns-Jazz Trade
The Suns Are Committed to Winning Now
Before this trade, the Suns had very few options to improve their 21-21 team. They are a second-apron team. This means they are restricted from taking back more money than they send out in a trade. They also cannot combine multiple salaries to acquire a player. On top of that, the Suns had already traded away almost all of their first-round draft picks, further limiting their options.
The Suns’ front office is clearly committed to building a championship-contending team around Devin Booker and Kevin Durant. While they still have one large challenge, finding a team for Bradley Beal, this trade signals that the Suns are still aggressively pursuing moves to improve their roster. A Jimmy Butler trade for Phoenix is now seen as more likely, though whether it will occur remains uncertain.
A Jimmy Butler Trade Becomes More Feasible
The Heat aren’t going to trade Butler for pennies. They’ve made it clear that they have yet to receive an offer worth their time. Miami won’t just be getting rid of Butler because he wants out. However, now that the Suns have more assets at their disposal, a trade that makes all parties happy is more possible.
Still, getting Butler will not be easy. Firstly, Beal will have to waive his no-trade clause. That is just the start. The Heat are not likely interested in Beal. This means at least one more team would need to be involved to get the trade done. Still, these extra picks make a multi-team trade for Butler much more feasible for the Suns.
Can the Suns Get Rid of Nurkic?
Another new Suns trade option is trading their center Jusuf Nurkic. Before getting additional draft capital, the Suns seemed stuck with their struggling center. His huge contract made him difficult to get rid of without attaching additional assets. Since no good team would likely be interested in Nurkic, they needed to find a team willing to take his salary in return for draft capital.
Before making the deal, the Suns only had their 2031 pick to dangle in return for taking on Nurkic’s contract. That asset was too valuable to send out just to get rid of Nurkic. Now with three less valuable picks, they may be willing to part with one. If the Suns aren’t able to land Butler, finding a marginal improvement through trading Nurkic could be their next best option.
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