Philly Front Office

Yesterday the Phoenix Suns traded a 2031 unprotected first round pick (literally the only one they can trade) to the Utah Jazz for 3 first round picks. These aren’t coveted Jazzy picks changing hands, but rather the ones received from Minnesota and Cleveland destined to be in the mid-20s each year. Even though the deal is defensible, the Suns fell victim to one of the classic blunders! The most famous is never get involved in a land war in Asia, but only slightly less well known is this; never go in against Danny Ainge, when draft picks are on the line!

The Suns could very well keel over dead, but they are in such a bad situation that they had to do this trade. They went all in on a core of Devin Booker, Kevin Durant, and Bradley Beal and it’s just not good enough. They are 10th in the West! There is a reason the Wizards gave Beal away for nothing. His contract is a weight around the neck of the franchise. To have any chance at all, he needs to be eliminated from the equation. This trade gives them the ability to do that.

Jimmy Butler has made it known for months that he wants a new contract and doesn’t want to play for a team that won’t give it to him. Pat Riley isn’t giving him that extension. Predictably, things have soured in South Beach (look I know the arena is on the mainland, but alliteration sounds better). The Jimmy bell tolls for all teams eventually, even his soulmate Miami Heat. He has not so subtly hinted that he wants to go to Phoenix.

IT’S A PERFECT MATCH!!!

RIGHT?

Right?

Wait, is it a perfect match?

Well, it isn’t a perfect match. The contracts at play here are very much a problem. Beal is making $110m over the next two years because there is no way in hell he is opting out early. There is also no way in hell that Pat Riley wants that contract. He would rather send Butler home with pay for 1.5 years than play Beal on that contract for 2.5 years.

Butler has a player option for next season at $52m. Unless he gets traded and extended, he will probably exercise that option in order to keep the trade door open another year. It is just much easier to trade for a player making that much than to pay him anywhere near that as a free agent. Phoenix is probably fine with this either way. If he opts out, Phoenix still won’t have cap space to sign anyone but will have successfully dumped Beal’s albatross contract. If he opts in, then they have Jimmy Butler next season. They are also more likely to extend him than other teams. Kevin Durant is in the last year of his contract next season so he might get a new deal as well. Devin Booker is signed for 3 more years. With Phoenix completely strapped asset-wise, they will likely have to ride with this group for a few more years, even if it is collecting social security.

So, Butler can be traded to Phoenix, but Beal is definitely not going to Miami. This will need to be a 3-team trade if it happens (it is going to happen). It would be objectively hilarious if Utah ended up as the 3rd team by sending Colin Sexton and John Collins to Miami and receiving Beal and their draft picks back. Unfortunately, Beal has a full no trade clause, so I don’t think that’s happening. You run into the same problem with any number of teams like the Nets and Raptors where Beal would never approve a trade. He apparently wants to go to Milwaukee. For salary cap purposes, the Bucks would have to maneuver some contracts first, but it is doable. Make no mistake, Beal is the one in control here not Pat Riley or Jimmy Butler.

Wait, why did Utah trade 3 picks for 1?

Utah is running into the same problem that OKC is running into. They have so many picks coming to them that they cannot possible roster all of them effectively. Plus, the Jazz have little need for drafting role players at the bottom of the draft. They are in consolidation mode. Three likely 25th picks in the draft have value, but for the most part they are known quantities. In 2031, the Suns may be completely burnt up. Because they are using all of their assets now and are an aging team, they could be VERY bad by 2031. The mystery and intrigue of this pick dwarfs the known value of the other 3 picks. Plus, again, they were superfluous for Utah. Like the Sixers owning an unprotected Clippers pick in a few years, this is a valuable investment. I was exaggerating with Danny Ainge in the beginning, but this works out best for him in the end. Phoenix is already just shoving everything in its closet and under its bed, but it will be a total mess in a few years. Even if they trade for Butler, there is no stopping that path now. If the Suns end up extending Butler and Durant, all the better for Ainge in Utah.