On the eve of the NBA's trade deadline, we got some shocking news that was of note to the Phoenix Suns. Wednesday night, the long and drawn out Jimmy Butler trade saga finally came to a close as the now-former Miami Heat star was officially dealt to the Golden State Warriors in a massive multi-team trade. Of course, what that means is that one of the Suns' top rumored trade targets is now off the market.
There had been plenty of noise that Butler wanted a move to Phoenix. After Jimmy sewed a lot of chaos surrounding his future by stating that he would play anywhere but Miami and then blocking multiple trades that would have landed him on contending teams, it seemed that the Suns could ultimately become his landing spot. Now, that possibility has been totally erased.
Personally, I was of the belief that getting Butler on this roster in Phoenix was not actually going to be that big of a needle-mover to begin with. At this point in his career, Jimmy is older, he is not producing at the same level he was a few years ago, and his repeated off-court antics have become more than a little concerning for decision-makers around the league who have considered the possibility that he could help their team.
The Suns are stuck in the middle
But putting that opinion to the side, Butler's move to Golden State and his subsequent decision to re-sign with the Warriors means that the Suns completely struck out at the trade deadline (barring any further breaking news). Regardless of whether Jimmy was truly going to be the answer for Phoenix, we will now never even get to test that theory. The Suns are up the river without a paddle, as the old saying goes.
After their loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday evening, Phoenix now sits with a record of 25-25, and they own the tenth spot in the Western Conference standings. While they may sit just three games back of sixth, that difference is not as miniscule as it may seem. The West remains an absolute gauntlet, and climbing back up to that spot is going to be more difficult than it appears. We have to also consider the fact that the Suns are tied with the Golden State Warriors for the 11th spot as well.
There's no reasonable avenue for Phoenix to level up from here. They are basically stuck firmly in the middle, which is the worst place to be in the NBA. Even envisioning the Suns making some sort of dream run in the playoffs seems a bit far-fetched, especially after their sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Timberwolves last April. The future is certainly up in the air for this team.