Breaking down Suns' options ahead of the NBA trade deadline

The Phoenix Suns (23-21) are facing some decisions ahead of the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6. Phoenix is in talks to trade for Miami Heat all-star Jimmy Butler, recently restocked a once-bare allotment of draft picks and the Arizona Republic reported that Suns’ starting center Jusuf Nurkic and head coach Mike Budenholzer weren’t exactly on speaking terms. 

Let’s break down where the Suns might go from here.

Trade for Jimmy Butler

This is the most likely outcome. Jimmy Butler requested a trade from Miami, listing Phoenix as his top destination, and has since been a spectacle in Miami filled with missed games and two suspensions.

The on-court fit makes sense. Pairing Butler’s rim pressure and defensive upside with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker would be an upgrade over the fit with Bradley Beal.

The contract implications of Butler’s expiring deal would likely mean the Suns re-sign Butler in the offseason and commit to a second player deep into his 30s. 

The trick is where to go with Beal given his no-trade clause. Speculation has grown since Brian Windhorst shared on The Hoop Collective that Chicago could be interested in Beal. And, along with Beal, any trade the Suns are involved in is wildly complicated because of the tax apron rules.

A Butler trade could see as many as five teams involved to make things work. Some of the “easiest” ways to make a Butler swap work include bringing in the Milwaukee Bucks to take in Beal, and shipping out Khris Middleton and others to a fourth team in the process. 

Trade for Zach Lavine

The Bulls were recently named as a team in talks with Phoenix as a Beal destination while rumors swirl about Butler.

Instead of the Suns bringing in Chicago as an extra team in a Butler deal, how about Phoenix and Chicago swap guards? While this makes some sense for Phoenix, there is skill overlap with Beal and Lavine, although the latter is a higher volume three-point shooter.

And it feels unlikely Chicago would make this the long-awaited Lavine trade just for Beal and a few first-round picks. It is simpler than a Butler trade, with Lavine and Beal being able to be swapped directly if the teams wanted – it just doesn’t make the most sense if you’re the Bulls. 

Keep Beal, trade Nurkic/picks

Trading Nurkic has been mulled over on Suns fan social media circles, with Nurkic acknowledging that he doesn’t see it happening before the deadline. Nurkic was replaced in the starting lineup by Mason Plumlee on Jan. 6, and the Suns traded for Nick Richards in a move to upgrade the five spot. Moving Nurkic’s $18 million cap hit isn’t easy either, as are most trades given Phoenix’s massive cap sheet.

But, attaching one or two of the picks from the Utah trade could entice a team to make a complicated deal work. 

Do nothing, punt to the offseason

Suns owner Mat Ishbia has shown he will shake things up. He did it nearly immediately by trading a haul of first-round picks, Mikal Bridges and Cameron Johnson for Kevin Durant midseason.

This version of the Suns feels ripe for a makeover, but pushing to the offseason could be the move. Beal’s contract looks a little easier to trade come the offseason, as well as Nurkic’s. Teams have a clearer picture of their draft and free agent situations, so more teams might have space to bring in Beal’s or Nurkic’s large cap hit.