According to ESPN, the Phoenix Suns made a massive trade with the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night. The Suns traded their 2033 first-round pick to the Jazz for three first-round picks. The trade tripled Phoenix’s allotted first-round draft capital, as the team seeks upgrades to its existing roster. The possibilities of veteran stars, such as Miami Heat veteran star Jimmy Butler are on their radar. Butler, 35, requested a trade from the Heat earlier this month, and the Suns are one of his top destinations, sources told ESPN. Read on for further details.
Phoenix Suns’ Trade With Utah Jazz
ESPN Senior NBA Insider Shams Charania posted on X, formerly Twitter, “The Phoenix Suns are trading their 2031 unprotected first to the Utah Jazz for three first-round picks, sources tell ESPN. The Suns are acquiring the least favorable firsts in 2025 of Cleveland/Minnesota, 2027 of Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah and 2029 of Cleveland/Minnesota/Utah.”
The Phoenix Suns’ trade with the Utah Jazz can work wonders. The Suns acquired the least favorite firsts in 2025 of the Jazz (protected), the Cleveland Cavaliers, or the Minnesota Timberwolves, in 2027 of the Jazz, Cavaliers, or Timberwolves, and 2029 of the Timberwolves (protected), Jazz, or Cavaliers. The Jazz consolidated their first-round picks acquired in the Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell trades in 2022. The Jazz will have 11 first-round picks in the next seven years, including the Suns’ 2031 unprotected first-round pick.
Phoenix’s Aggressive Approach
The Phoenix Suns’ aggressive approach can work out over time. The Suns unlocked their next six drafts and broke up their lone tradeable first in 2031 into three firsts. The Suns will likely have the Cleveland Cavaliers’ first-round pick in 2025. The Cavaliers enter Wednesday’s schedule at 36-6, the best record in the NBA, after a 118-92 defeat of the Suns at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse on Monday. The Suns sat with a 21-21 record.
The Suns will take on the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. Eastern, while the Cavaliers will take on the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Central. Both games should be exciting to watch, as long as there aren’t any unfortunate injuries, bad calls, and angry outbursts, but we’ll see what happens.
Utah’s Willingness
The Utah Jazz’s willingness to work out a trade with the Phoenix Suns should be all right. The Jazz had a surplus of draft capital to work with in making this trade with the Suns. Specifically, the Jazz owned 13 first-round picks in the next seven drafts, and were willing to part ways with three first-round picks that will likely arrive late in the round for a chance to control the Suns’ 2031 unprotected first-round pick.
ESPN’s Bobby Marks confirmed that the Jazz currently have 11 first-round picks in the next seven drafts. The Jazz went without three first-round picks, but appear to be in roster-building mode, like the Oklahoma City Thunder did when they were rebuilding and accumulated as much draft capital as possible. The Thunder started to win games while developing a solid, long-term roster — and so can the Jazz.
The Jazz will take on the Thunder at the Paycom Center on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. Central. The Jazz will enter the Western Conference matchup with a lowly 10-31 record compared to the Thunder’s 35-7 record. The Jazz will look to snap a seven-game losing skid dating back to January 8, 2025, while the Thunder will seek a second straight win to build off a victory on January 19, 2025.
